This past summer, Brenda led a gene profiling analysis on glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), an aggressive brain cancer, in a Tumor- and Neuro-Immunology Lab at Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine. Her work resulted in the discovery of a potential, novel immunosuppressive gene in GBM. Every summer, she volunteers at a local Chicago hospital, which serves immigrant communities, by taking patient vitals in the Emergency Department and translating for Vietnamese patients in the Anesthesia Care Unit. On campus, she serves as the Vice President of the Balance Health Educators (BHEs) and is a student researcher in an organic chemistry lab focusing on pancreatic cancer. Brenda hopes to pursue an MD/PhD degree, with the goal of integrating cultural competence and biomedical research into patient care at the bedside.
