Emory Division of Cardiology partners with Girls Inc. to inspire STEM interest in youth

The Emory University Division of Cardiology faculty, staff, and postdoctoral fellows recently participated in the second annual “summer university” STEM program organized by Girls Inc., a nonprofit organization that works to empower young women to be strong, smart, and bold through direct service and advocacy.

To kick off the program, the Division of Cardiology hosted 12 high-school girls for a job shadow day with hands-on research activities. The students rotated through four different lab activities that included pig heart dissection, Bradford assays, blood pressure measurement in people and animals, as well as laser Doppler imaging for a visual representation of blood flow in their hands. Lunchtime presentations provided the students an opportunity to learn about the different trajectories through a career in science and hear personal narratives about career motivations and rewards.

The day culminated with the participants giving formal presentations featuring key scientific concepts they learned during the lab activities, as well as sharing their thoughts on science-based careers and the potential impacts on society.

“We wanted them to get a taste of what it was like to be a scientist,” says Rebecca Levit, MD, assistant professor of medicine. “We hope they enjoyed the day and that a few come back in a few years to work with us!”

In addition to the job shadow day, Girls Inc. hosted Modele Ogunniyi, MD, associate professor of medicine, and a group of five cardiology staff members at the Heart Healthy Wednesday event that was attended by more than 50 girls aged 6-10. The purpose of the event was to educate students about basic heart health information through activities such as sampling heart-healthy foods, coloring pages about the circulatory system, watching a video that explained the function of both a healthy and unhealthy heart, as well as listening to their own hearts at a stethoscope station.

After sharing her personal journey about growing up in Nigeria and her path to becoming a cardiologist and educator, Ogunniyi impressed upon the girls the importance of the American Heart Association’s “Life’s Simple 7,” which includes ways to keep a healthy heart through healthy food choices, exercise, no smoking, and more.

“What a great group of girls. They asked very intelligent questions,” says Ogunniyi. “This truly was one of the best experiences I have had at Emory.”

Visit the Department of Medicine Flickr album for more event photos.