Reaching for the STARS, inspiring for the future

Published on: March 27, 2026 By: Staff Reports

Students practice using a tourniquet. — Students practice putting on tourniquets at a “Stop the Bleed” training at the UT Southwestern STARS/Women in Science and Medicine Symposium.

More than 150 middle and high school students learned what a brain affected by stroke looks like, how to effectively stop someone from bleeding, and how to identify disease risks in specific populations at the UT Southwestern STARS (Science Teacher Access to Resources at Southwestern) and Women in Science and Medicine Advisory Committee (WISMAC) Women in Science and Medicine Symposium. The half-day event on Feb. 21 exposed students and their teachers to discussion panels, breakout sessions, and hands-on experiences that highlighted the contributions of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields. The event was spearheaded by Lynn Tam, Ed.D., Director of STARS, WISMAC co-Chairs Ondine Cleaver, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Biology, and Naomi Winick, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics, and WISMAC faculty representative Julie Mirpuri, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics. About 50 UTSW volunteers supported the event by escorting students, leading panel discussions, and facilitating activities designed to inspire the next generation of STEM professionals.

Endowed Title

Dr. Cleaver holds the Lee Fikes Chair in Biomedical Sciences.

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The audience hears about one of the unique and more rigorous programs at UTSW, the Perot Family Scholars Medical Scientist Training Program, in which a student achieves both M.D. and Ph.D. degrees.

Lakisha Parish-Frey, M.Ed., Workplace P-TECH Coordinator with South Irving Collegiate Academy at Nimitz, leads a parent session on college applications and scholarship opportunities.

Apsaline Douglas, a graduate student in the lab of Yingxi Lin, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, and in the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, speaks about her background, her research into memory development, and the reason she chose to pursue a career in science.

Physical therapy students Chase Haney, left, and Brock Stiles, front right, lead students to a breakout session at the symposium.

Students participate in an anatomy lesson designed to educate how vision works.

Students work together during a Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health exercise to identify and prioritize risks for disease in a population.

Students practice using a tendon hammer to elicit reflexes during the “How to do a physical exam” exercise.

Students participate in a “Stop the Bleed” training to learn how to stop blood loss and help save a person’s life before paramedics or physicians arrive.

A senior medical student conducts a horizontal gaze test on a high school student during a physical exam session led by medical students and faculty.

Medical student Kurt Ottman, left, assists students with listening to breath sounds during a mock physical exam.

Symposium volunteers from UT Southwestern’s Medical School, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Professions, and O’Donnell School of Public Health gather for a group photo.

WISMAC co-Chair Ondine Cleaver, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Biology (left), and STARS Director Lynn Tam, Ed.D., welcome attendees to the event aimed at inspiring student interest in biomedical careers.

Dr. Cleaver provides an overview of activities, which include lab tours, a panel discussion, and interactive science and medical demonstrations.

Students representing all UT Southwestern’s schools share their career passions with the audience. From left: Maggie Williams, School of Health Professions; Amanda Saving, Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health; Ria Mukherji, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; Gina Park, Medical Scientist Training Program; Priya Tirumala, Medical School; and Mikayla Rigsby, Medical School.

UTSW medical student Priya Tirumala shares her motivation for pursuing a career as a physician.