Stetler Tanner
Second-Year MD/MPH student at UT Southwestern
I spent the summer of 2023 working in the lab of Dr. Sean Davies in the Department of Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University. Our research focused on elucidating the role of a specific protein in efferocytosis to help develop therapeutic approaches for cardiometabolic disease. This experience allowed me to build upon my previous research skills while adapting to a new environment. Conducting research at a prestigious institution such as Vanderbilt gave me invaluable exposure to high-level scientific inquiry and collaboration.
My summer in the lab strengthened both my technical abilities and my desire to pursue a career that integrates research and clinical practice. The experience also gave me confidence as I concurrently applied to medical school that year. I have since begun medical school at UT Southwestern and am currently in my second year of a combined MD/MPH program. My summer at Vanderbilt has left a deep impression on me, and I am thankful for the opportunity I had to be a part of the BYU Summer Premed Research Internship program.