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Pranav Murthy

Cameo

Country: Public

United States

United States
STEM Area(s) of Interest: Public
Life Science
  • Immunology
  • Endocrinology
  • Biochemistry
  • Chemistry
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Life Science
  • Molecular Biology
  • Engineering
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Chemistry
  • General Chemistry
  • Life Science
  • Biology
  • Public
    Level:High School Student Expecting to Graduate in June 2015
    About Me: Public

    Hello STEMlete World! I am Pranav, a Senior at North Allegheny High School (Pittsburgh, PA) who is passionate about the improvement of mankind through research, global collaboration, and innovative leadership. My STEM interests lie in the biological sciences, specifically HSP-microbiota relationship and NK cell function in the tumor microenvironment. I have completed university level research in these fields, and have presented a subset of my work at several local, state, and national science fairs and symposiums. I hope to use STEMlete as a network to connect and collaborate with promising young scientists around the world! 

    Language(s) Spoken: Public
    English, Tamil, Spanish

    Education

    Public
    University of Pittsburgh
    Expected Graduation Date: 2019

    Achievements/Awards/Recognition: Selected for the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Guaranteed Admissions Program


    North Allegheny
    High School
    Expected Graduation Date: 2015
    Overall GPA: 4.5625
    SAT Reasoning Exam

    SubjectScore
    Math770
    Reading800
    Writing760


    Experience

    Public
    Allegheny General Hospital
    Professional
    June 2012 - Present
    Job Title: Research Scholar

    Responsibilities: I retrieved and analyzed data on 230 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy surgeries, looking for stroke symptoms at base-line, post-operatively, and follow-up.

    Achievements/Awards/Recognition: Manuscript in preparation for publication: The Effects of Intra-Operative Neurophysiological Monitoring on Patients Undergoing Carotid Endarterectomy


    University of Pittsburgh
    Professional
    June 2013 - Present
    Job Title: Research Scholar

    Achievements/Awards/Recognition: University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Summer Academy, Doris Duke Academy for Clinical Research:

    Research Paper Publication: Li G, Liang X, Murthy P, Tang D, Zeh H, Lotze M. The Effector Role of Natural Killer Cell HMGB1, submitted July 2014 to Cell Immunity

    Poster Publication: Murthy P, Li G, Liang X, Lotze M. HMGB1 is Essential for Intrinsic Natural Killer Cell Function, University of Pittsburgh Immunology Symposium 2014

    Poster Publication: Murthy P, Zhou Y, Binder R. The Role of Heat Shock Proteins and their Receptor CD91 in Intestinal Immune Regulation, University of Pittsburgh: Science Convergence Meeting 2013

    Best Overall Final Presentation and Poster Award (2013, 2014)


    Publications

    Public
    Momordica Charantia Reduces Blood Glucose Levels in Pre-Diabetes
    Publication/Publisher: Journal of Emerging Investigators (Accepted October 2014)
    Published: October 2014

    Achievements/Awards/Recognition: Is it a bitter solution to a sweet problem, or a sweet solution to a bitter problem? We would like to think that it is the latter. Type 2 diabetes is an adult onset disorder involving blood sugar control and insulin resistance that has bitter consequences if untreated. Bitter melon, as the name indicates, is a bitter tasting fruit consumed in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. Throughout different cultures, bitter melon is also known for its alleged, but largely unproven, health benefits for many medical ailments, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Recent discoveries of plant based insulin and other known anti-diabetic compounds in bitter melon have sparked interest in understanding bitter melon’s possible role in controlling diabetes. Bitter melon’s blood sugar control in mouse models has been well documented, but similar clinical results are sparse and inapplicable to the general population because of improper methodology. The goal of this project was to clearly identify bitter melon’s anti-diabetic effects on individuals with pre-diabetes, the pre-cursor stage of diabetes where lifestyle modification with diet and exercise can prevent progression of the disease. To complete this, the efficacy of bitter melon consumption in controlling blood sugar levels was tested in 15 middle aged men and women newly diagnosed with pre-diabetes in a six week double blind placebo controlled study. Data analysis revealed a novel explanation for bitter melon’s anti-diabetic mechanism, which accounts for both increased insulin production and sensitivity in the body. Most importantly, bitter melon was shown to be a natural and economical food-based solution to prevent the progression of pre-diabetes to diabetes without harmful side effects.

    Authors: Pranav Murthy, Allen Bruce

    Affiliations

    Public
    National Eagle Scout Association
    North Allegheny Senior High School National Honor Society
    University of Pittsburgh Department of Immunology

    Strengths, Dreams & More

    Dream Job(s): Public
    National Institutes of Health
    Dream to perform as a senior research investigator and physician at the National Institutes of Health.

    Favorite Historical STEMlete: PublicLeonardo da Vinci
    Favorite Contemporary STEMlete: PublicElon Musk
    Favorite Quote: Public“Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.” -Henry David Thoreau in Walden

    Mentors

    Public
    Dr. Robert J. Binder

    Recognition: Professor of Immunology University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine


    Dr. Michael T. Lotze

    Recognition: Professor of Immunology, Bioengineering, and Surgery University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine


    Latest STEMlete Opinion Polls

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    What energy source will/should fuel electricity for the future?
    12 responses

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