ACP Alumni: Searching for a Cure

ACP is often known as a school which highly promotes STEM programs, along with teaching students to pursue their passions. Randall Eck, graduate from ACP in the Class of 2016, did just this: he found his passion and used it to change the world.

Randall Eck (pictured left), current junior in college at U of A, with a double major in Neuro Science and Cognitive science, found his passion for science and studying the brain at ACP. Through ACP’s specific programs and passionate teachers, Randall had the opportunity to learn about the brain and influences certain diseases and cures had on it. For his outstanding research, Randall was invited to present his finding at the annual Beckham Conference in Irvine, California, which is a conference that seeks undergraduate research programs that demonstrate significant commitment to scientific studies.

Randall’s lab, run by Dr. Daniella Zarneskew, studies fruit flies to further research on the disease ALS and also aging and stress in rats. He further explained the process of how stressed cells try to become less stressed, which is very different from how a person deals with stress, for cells cannot go anywhere. Randall started his research in his freshman year of college. Despite over a year of research, not many conclusions have been made, for he expressed that research is a long process of trial and error; however, Randall is still confident in finding results that will be useful to the public. Furthermore, with the research the lab is doing on drugs that could help ALS patients, some results were found to work on fruit flies and the lab team hopes they will one day be able to transfer to humans and that humans will experience the same success the flies did with trading this horrible disease.

Along with the ability to present his findings in California, Randall won a $20,000 scholarship, which as you can image, was a prestigious award to receive. Randall continued by stating that applying for the award was a long process, and only few undergraduates are selected.

Randall’s advice for ACP students is to have fun, “Worry about getting good grades, but also find what you’re passionate about and pursue that as well, because you can put anything you’re passionate about into a career.”

There you have it, Knights! Randall Eck, alumni of ACP, achieved the extraordinary with help form his many passionate professors, both at ACP and at U of A.