UROP, Honors experiences set stage for Mourad’s path to med school

Participating in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor over the summer has been one of the most important academic experiences in the life of HFC student Sedra Mourad.

Mourad conducted full-time research in Dr. Navin Mahadevan’s laboratory in the Department of Pathology at Michigan Medicine. Her research focused on small cell lung cancer, a fast-growing, aggressive type of cancer that accounts for 10-15% of all lung cancer cases.

“Our lab studies this very aggressive form of lung cancer. My UROP project focused on a protein called the Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR) and how it might influence the behavior of certain small cell lung cancer cells, including how quickly they grow and interact with the immune system,” she said. “We compared cancer cells with a functioning GR to ones where the GR had been removed by using an advanced technology called CRISPR. I looked at the differences in cell proliferation and gene expression. I worked on experiments involving cancer cells and immune T-cells. The larger goal was to better understand the molecular biology of those cancer cells and how GR affects tumor behavior and immune interaction.”

Understanding research training

One of the people Mourad worked closely with was research scientist and labor manager Dr. Tianju Liu. Her early research focused on tumor immunology. After joining Mahadevan’s laboratory in 2025, her research focused on understanding the cellular plasticity and immunologic heterogeneity of small cell lung carcinoma. She is involved in multiple collaborative projects investigating the immunosuppressive properties of tumor cells and exploring strategies to enhance tumor immunogenicity to elicit robust T-cell immune responses.

“As a lab manager with more than 20 years of multidisciplinary technical expertise, Dr. Liu supports laboratory operations and helps maintain the day-to-day experimental, organizational, and collaborative workflows that keep Dr. Mahadevan’s lab running efficiently. This role helps connect research planning with execution across multiple projects and platforms,” said Mourad.

The mentorship Mourad received from Mahadevan and Liu represented the highlights of her UROP experience.

“I worked with people who were willing to explain the science, answer questions, let me make mistakes, and gradually give me more independence,” she said. “Being surrounded by people at different stages of their scientific careers helped me understand what research training looks like.”

Gained hands-on experience in pathology lab

UROP is part of U-M’s Community College Summer Fellowship Program (CCSFP), which offers a 10-week paid summer fellowship for students enrolled in any Michigan community college who are interested in transferring to a four-year university.

Research projects are available in social sciences, humanities, engineering, health sciences, physical sciences, natural and environmental sciences, and more. UROP seeks to attract a diverse student population, including women and historically underrepresented students, first generation college students, students from low-income backgrounds, and veterans.

“I wanted to gain hands-on experience and learn lab techniques that are essential for my future academic goals,” said Mourad. “This year’s cohort of community college students was amazing. We shared experiences, built friendships, and made connections.”

Mourad is still working at Mahadevan’s lab through U-M’s Mellon Research Scholar Fellowship for the Fall 2026 semester.

“I get to continue building on the work I did through UROP,” she said. “I get to carry the skills I learned beyond the summer. This will give me the foundation to continue working toward neuroscience and medicine intentionally.”

HFC was the ideal place to begin her academic journey

Born and raised in Lebanon, Mourad immigrated to the United States in 2024 and settled in Dearborn Heights. She is the eldest of four, and her three younger siblings plan to attend HFC.

Mourad, who speaks fluent Arabic and proficient French, completed high school overseas. She will earn her associate degree in biology at HFC, graduating in late 2026. She has already completed the requirements for the Michigan Transfer Agreement. After graduation, she will transfer to U-M, where she will major in neuroscience. Her goal is to attend medical school, preferably at U-M.

“HFC opened a lot of doors for me and has been an ideal place to begin my journey,” she said. “I owe so much to the Henry Ford II Honors Program, which really shaped my experience here at the College. Through the Honors Program, I’ve grown academically, professionally, and personally.”

Mourad cited HFC biology instructors Dr. Gregory Karapetian, Dr. Jolie Stepaniak, Dr. Sarah Plecha, and HFC English instructor Dr. Peter Kim as being influential.

“Sedra is an outstanding student with a bright academic future,” said Karapetian. “Her desire to learn, explore, and involve herself in research is admirable. Her scientific writing is as good as anything I have seen at the undergraduate level. Sedra came to the U.S. with very little, and has taken full advantage of the opportunities HFC has to offer. She will continue on that path to make the most of herself. I am proud of the wonderful things she has done.”

Brings out the best in her fellow students

To say Mourad has been active at HFC is an understatement. For the Fall 2026 semester alone, she won the Foren Communications Scholarship and the Helen Hackett Endowed Memorial Scholarship.

She is an award-winning staff writer for The Mirror News, HFC’s student newspaper. Recently, she was awarded first place in the Central Division for the Community College Humanities Association Literary Magazine Competition for her research essay, “Echoes of Trauma.”

"Having already won several awards for the newspaper, The Mirror News is lucky to have Sedra among its team of writers," said Kim. "Sedra has proven herself to be an exceptional writer, researcher, and all-around excellent student, and she makes those around her better. I’ve had the pleasure as an educator and the newspaper advisor to observe how much others seek to do their best through Sedra’s encouragement and leadership. I know she will continue to do extraordinary things equal to the exceptional talents she possesses. I can’t wait to see her next accomplishments."

In her final semester at HFC, Mourad is serving as the president of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Alpha Xi Mu). For the 2025-26 academic year, she served as vice-president of PTK. Her Mirror News article, “AI at HFC,” evolved into a well-received presentation at the LAND Conference in early 2026.

“Sedra’s presentation at the LAND Conference, which was hosted by HFC this past February, was the culmination of her work gathering survey results and research and conducting interviews to report on ‘AI at HFC,’ a topic that earned first place at the Michigan Community College Press Association Conference the following month. As one of her first investigative articles for the student newspaper, Sedra already demonstrated a knack for reporting and a talent for writing.”

Previously, Mourad was involved with the Pre-Health Club, Transfer Bridges to Michigan (TB2M), and the Learning Lab. In the Learning Lab, she tutored biology, chemistry, mathematics, Arabic, and French.

“Sedra is a phenomenal student!” said Stepaniak. “Beyond having an exceptional grasp of the material and excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills, Sedra is tenacious, focused, and helpful to her fellow students. I'm so impressed with what she's accomplished, and I can't wait to see what her future holds.”

A bottomless reservoir of energy

Mourad is also active outside HFC. She is a member of the American Physicians Scientists Association, where she meets monthly with a mentor who guides her academic and research development. Mourad aspires to become a physician-scientist, someone who practices medicine while contributing to scientific research and innovation.

Mourad also serves as a writer at AIIM Research, an initiative of the Eleos Impact Association, which is recognized by the Association of American Medical Colleges. As part of the Neurology Department team, she focuses on the intersection of medicine and AI, summarizing research articles and exploring their implications in healthcare. She completed an internship with Arab Women United, a non-profit organization in Dearborn devoted to empowering Arab women through culturally responsive support, inclusive education, and intentional community-building.

Chardin Claybourne, faculty advisor for both PTK and the Honors Program, has enjoyed working with Mourad.

“When I interviewed Sedra for the Honors Program, I thought she was much older because she presents an aura that is so professional, composed, and self-assured,” said Claybourne. “Sedra is wonderfully ambitious, never lacks for ideas, and has a seemingly bottomless reservoir of energy. I’m impressed by how much she has accomplished in such a short time. She is serious about her goals and is dogged in her determination to succeed.”