Second SU Student Named Amgen Scholar at Johns Hopkins

SALISBURY, MD---A second Salisbury University student – Idris Barakat of Salisbury – has been named an Amgen Scholar and will spend 10 weeks this summer conducting research at Johns Hopkins University.

“This experience will provide me with a diverse set of skills to bridge the modern tools of drug design with a variety of bio-organic disciplines,” said Barakat, a junior biochemistry major and member of SU’s Honors College.  “As a research enthusiast, I applied because it offers a chance to engage in major research initiatives that relate to organic chemistry and biochemistry.”

As an undergraduate at SU, Barakat already has conducted research with faculty mentors. He said: “My active role in independent research in the Chemistry Department has prepared me to work under any lab environment in a self-directed fashion.” 

Last summer, Barakat worked with Dr. Jose Juncosa on the synthesis of a drug designed to mimic the functions of serotonin to help address cognitive disabilities and the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Now, he is working in Dr. Stephen Habay’s lab on a project related to the synthesis of various pharmaceutically relevant molecules.

Barakat believes the Amgen opportunity will help mold him into “an informed and well-rounded future scientist.” After graduation, he hopes to purse his doctorate. He graduated from Parkside High School in 2016. 

SU junior Lela Bones of Georgetown, DE, also will be an Amgen Scholar at Hopkins this summer. With 13 host universities across the U.S., the program is funded by the Amgen Foundation, an affiliate of an international biotechnology company.

For more information about applying for national fellowships, SU students or alumni may contact said Dr. Kristen Walton, director of SU’s Nationally Competitive Fellowships Office, at kpwalton@salisbury.edu or visit www.salisbury.edu/nationalfellowships.