Summer externship gives student first-hand look at the role research plays to improve health disparities

Eric Wang, 20, (left) learned more from Richard W. Smalling, MD, PhD, (right) professor with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, about how research is impacting ways to improve health disparities. (Photo by UTHealth Houston)

Moving to Watson, Oklahoma from China at the age of 8, Eric Wang, 20, struggled because there were no English-as-a-second-language courses available to him. Instead, he learned English from friends and classmates.

That’s why, when he saw a need for peer mentorship in high school, he started a tutoring club to help others navigate the road to college.

“I was really passionate about that,” said Wang, now a senior at Texas A&M University. “I drew inspiration from my experience because students weren’t aware of available resources.”

That interest has translated into seeking ways to help improve health disparities, including the role research plays. This summer, he received an up-close view of research through an externship led by Richard W. Smalling, MD, PhD, professor, the James D. Woods Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine, and the Jay Brent Sterling Professor in Cardiovascular Medicine with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston.

“He’s doing all this innovative stuff,” Wang said. “It’s been an absolute privilege to be a part of his lab.