Valerie Lomonte graduating from the Fulbright College with Summa Cum Laude Honors following the successful defense of her honors thesis

Author: Valerie Lomonte Major: Biology

For the past two years I was able to research with Dr. Hudson Beyzavi. The general goals of Dr. Beyzavi’s research lab are related to the synthesis of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent-organic frameworks (COFs), the study of their structures and properties, and the utilization of their photosensitive nature and drug carrying capabilities. I worked closely with other undergraduate students and graduate mentors during my time as a research assistant to learn about the unique properties and applications of metal-organic frameworks.

For my honors thesis, I worked to study and observe the effects of a novel drug delivery system for photodynamic therapy on triple negative breast cancer cells. Photodynamic therapy is a minimally invasive form of cancer therapy that requires the reaction of oxygen, light, and a photosensitizing agent to induce apoptosis – programmed cell death – in targeted malignant cells. Triple negative breast cancer is an aggressive form of breast cancer that is particularly difficult to treat due to its lack of hormone receptors. The lack of receptors prevents targeted chemotherapy treatments from having a substantial effect on the desired tissue, and instead runs the risk of destroying nearby healthy tissue. However, the drug delivery system proposed in my honors thesis shows the potential to successfully administer targeted photodynamic therapy that will kill the desired cancer cells with minimal damage to healthy tissue and minimal side effects. This is done by conjugating the synthesized MOF with maltotrionic acid – a sugar coat – that can actively target the glucose receptors that are highly expressed on the breast cancer cells. The results from this research show promise in this drug delivery system, and prove that further research should follow up this experiment to determine the efficacy of this treatment in a living organism.

For the Fall 2020 funding period, I was tasked with writing and defending my honors thesis. Writing my honors thesis presented as a unique challenge for me as I had never written a scientific paper of this magnitude. However, with the help of Dr. Beyzavi, the process ran smooth and I was able to write the report with as little stress as possible. Since the options for defense format changed due to the pandemic, I decided to defend my thesis via email. This meant that my committee, which consisted of Dr. Beyzavi, Dr. Mack Ivey, Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, and Dr. Bill Levine, sent me questions about my thesis the day of my defense and I formed my answers and sent them back for their consideration. The questions that my committee posed to me were thought provoking and required deep critical thinking to respond. I thoroughly enjoyed considering the questions and getting to answer them, as I was asked to consider the biological, genetic, biochemical, and chemical effects and ramifications of the research presented in my thesis. This was a unique challenge that forced me to return to the basic concepts that I had learned from many of my classes throughout my education and expand that knowledge to the complex concepts that I was being asked about. To my relief and excitement, I was informed that I had successfully defended my honors thesis.

I was able to finish the semester and graduate with Summa Cum Laude honors from the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. This past year has been unexpected and unprecedented but has taught me how resilient I can be in stressful times. Despite the stress and adversity that we have faced this year, we continue to persist and pursue our goals. Performing research with Dr. Beyzavi was an amazing experience that helped me to realize my passion for research that I hope to continue in my future. I am grateful for my time at the University of Arkansas and I do not believe that I would have been able to succeed without the help of Dr. Beyzavi, the Honors College, and other professors that have helped me throughout my career.