FWCD Student Gains Hands-On Experience at UNT Health Science Center

Alyssa Rollings ’25 spent the summer before her senior year engaged in cutting-edge preeclampsia research at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, marking her second consecutive summer in a research environment. This opportunity was part of the HSC Explore Program, a five-week summer internship designed for high school students that offers hands-on experience in biomedical sciences. Participants work with faculty mentors and gain hands-on experience in the research world while exploring various career paths.

Rollings’s faculty mentor, Dr. Mark Cunningham, an assistant professor at UNT Health Science Center, conducts research on preeclampsia focused on understanding how the complication impacts the immediate and long-term health of women. 

Rollings, Dr. Cunningham and UNT Health Science Center undergraduate and Ph.D. students worked in the lab to “test the hypothesis that AT1-AA and/or IL-17 blockade will improve blood pressure, inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondria function, mitochondrial oxidative stress, cerebrovascular function, and cardiac dysfunction in preeclampsia, by using a preeclamptic rat model of placental ischemia in pregnant rats,” according to Dr. Cunningham’s UNT HSC web page. “Working with Dr. Cunningham showed me how research can truly make a difference in people’s lives,” Rollings said. 

This summer research internship has influenced Rollings’ academic choices. She decided to take AP Biology as a senior. Looking ahead, she is committed to pursuing a pre-med track in college, with an interest in pediatrics, though she remains open to exploring other medical fields. “All I know is that I want to work in the medical field and make a difference in the world,” she said. 

Rollings volunteers at Mercy Clinic of Fort Worth, which provides free health care in South Fort Worth, serving uninsured adults residing in the 76110 and 76104 zip codes with an income not greater than 200% of the national poverty level. Rollings shadows doctors and assists with charting, a responsibility she has steadily committed to since her sophomore year. She is a student leader with the National Christy League, Inc.; this year, she is Vice President of Communications. 

Rollings is looking forward to her senior year, making more memories with friends and finding additional ways to contribute meaningfully to her school community.