Johnny Dinh-Phan is double majoring with a B.S. in Biochemistry and a  B.F.A. in Dance. He is also minoring in French  and is pursuing a career in medicine.

Johnny's research at KU

“I’ve spent the past three summers under the mentorship of Dr. Sharma at The Kidney Institute of the KU Medical Center. We do research on Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) to assess the effects of potential treatments as well as researching the underlying pathobiology of the disease. 

In addition, I have done research here at KU Lawrence under the mentorship of Dr. De Guzman in the Department of Molecular Biosciences. I’ve been doing research on identifying the structure of Type 3 secretion systems in bacteria.”

What does your research look like on a day to day basis?

“In the laboratory we conduct various experiments which can include Western Blots, PCRs, IHC, etc. Typically we spend a lot of time analyzing these results and looking through literature online, i.e. like reading through scientific articles to help further our research and compare our results to see different avenues we can explore in terms of our research.

I also spend a significant amount of time discussing our progress and the project with my PI. Dr. Sharma . We spend time discussing what we've found so far -- any interesting articles I may have read or different experiments that we could design and conduct in order to further our research. And I also spend some time just cleaning up and organizing the laboratory and helping out wherever I can.”

Have you made any discoveries or findings?

“Through our research, we have found elevated levels of ferritin in a PKD mouse model as well as in human PKD patients. We have found these levels to be normalized by the drug CPX-O, along with an amelioration of the disease progression. We have recently had an article published of these findings. These results suggest a potential connection between ferritin and PKD, which has led to various experiments assessing their potential relationship.

From these experiences, I found something interesting-- just how interconnected the human body is, how there is just a plethora of different biomolecules and systems that could all potentially be involved in just one disease.”

What did you find most challenging about doing your project?

“The most challenging part is taking that first leap of faith, to reach out to a potential research mentor or apply for a research opportunity. From my personal experience, I spent my whole freshman year being terrified of reaching out to anyone. I would type up so many emails to different professors here at KU, but I would second guess myself and then wouldn't send the email because I was terrified of rejection.”

 What advice would you offer to other students facing similar challenges?

“My advice is to just go for it. Don't be discouraged by rejection or failure and just continue to pursue your passion for research. Because realistically, if you don't even apply for the opportunity, that's like guaranteed rejection or failure. Whereas if you applied, there's still that chance that you could have been accepted or gotten that opportunity.”

 Are you active in any other KU Clubs or Organizations?

"I’m involved in the premedical fraternity Phi Delta Epsilon. I’m also currently serving as President of the University Dance Company, in addition to serving on the executive teams of the Jayhawk Tap Company, Unity Hip Hop Dance Team, and KU Mortarboard. In my free time, I choreograph musicals, play tennis, and drink plenty of coffee!

One thing I've learned is communication. Being in so many different organizations and having to talk to so many different people about different subjects and topics has really helped me be able to try to communicate effectively."

What do you plan to do after you graduate from KU?

“I am currently applying to the KU School of Medicine to pursue a career in family medicine. Of course, I would love to keep dancing and choreographing on this side, as well as continue to pursue research.”

Any Final Thoughts?

“Additionally, I would recommend students to check out the K-INBRE Program. They have a ton of amazing research opportunities, which can vary between just a semester or just a summer or whole year long experience and they help provide funding through NIH to do research.”