Combining passion for medicine with philanthropic ideals, biomedical sciences grad ready to make an impact

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—It's one thing to say you want to change the world and another to go and do it. Omer Idris is just getting started. He'll graduate from Western Michigan University with a bachelor's degree in biomedical sciences and an undergraduate research resume that includes multiple promising studies on cancer-killing viruses published in prestigious medical journals.

Impressive on their own, his accomplishments are bolstered by incredible resilience; after immigrating to the United States from northeast Africa just five years ago, he faced significant challenges but remained determined to pursue his goals.

"I feel empowered," he says. "I feel an immense gratitude toward Western."

Idris' passion for medicine began early on. As a child, he was fascinated by medication and how it worked within the human body, and he was always looking for ways to make people feel better. As he got older, he devoured books in school that were related to science.

"I had an intense love of chemistry and biology," he says. That learning continued as a teenager as he translated for refugees attending medical appointments in Egypt.

During the appointments, he would hear doctors talking about various conditions and treatments then go home and read about them, becoming more enthralled in the world of medicine. One particularly impactful interaction involved a factory worker who was HIV-positive.

"I was going with her to all of her appointments and witnessing all of the health disparity. She was not able to find a job in Egypt because everyone was scared. That was really the time I passionately wanted to become a medical doctor."

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

Idris came to the United States intent on expanding his scientific knowledge in order to continue on the path to a career in medicine. He breezed through high school credit requirements and enrolled at Grand Rapids Community College a year later while applying to four-year institutions.

"I am so thankful for the support of my host family, Christine and Richard Johnston," he says. "They helped me so much in that phase of my life."

While he was accepted to University of Michigan, he ultimately chose to continue his academic career at Western, where he was offered a full scholarship through the Seita Scholars Program.

"I don't think I could have accomplished everything I have without this scholarship," Idris says. "I also had weekly mentorship through the Seita Scholars Program with my coach, and these were all masters-level educated people who also happened to be Western alumni, which meant I was given advice and learned through their experiences. I felt like I was well-guided and well-prepared."

Idris became a Seita Scholars mentor himself as he moved through the ranks at Western. In addition to supporting younger students, he also had opportunities to build professional skills like visiting a leadership conference in California.

"It taught me professionalism and how to be a leader but also a really good team player," says Idris. Those skills helped him lead his own research team outside of Western with colleagues from institutions across the country. Through the independent research group, he completed seven projects—many of which have been submitted to peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Clinical Medicine.

THRIVING THROUGH EXPERIENCE

While he relished reading and soaking up lessons in classes ranging from anatomy and cell biology to calculus, physics and even Chinese calligraphy and political philosophy, Idris really saw his career trajectory take off when he landed his first undergraduate research position through an internship posted by WMU Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine's (WMed) Department of Health, Equity and Community Affairs.

"It was designed to give opportunities to students who might not otherwise have them," says Idris. "We're living in a time where health equity and diversity are under attack, but my story is a testimony that programs like this do help students. The first exposure I ever had to the research world was through this department."

Idris began working alongside Dr. Thomas Rothstein, director of WMed's Center for Immunobiology, where he was immersed in research related to immunology and antibody production. Rothstein then helped him connect with Dr. Karim Essani, professor of biological sciences at Western, who specializes in virology.

"(Dr. Essani) welcomed me into his lab with open arms, and I went there expecting to just absorb all the knowledge I could from the graduate students I was helping. But I was so passionate and I spent so many hours in the lab talking to cutting-edge, innovative people and high-level researchers that I learned a lot in a very short time," Idris says. 

It didn't take long for Idris to prove himself in the lab, which set off a cascade of professional opportunities, including co-authoring his first literature review in the journal Cancers in April 2023 as well as actively engaging in two research projects related to the effectiveness of cancer-killing viruses on triple-negative breast cancer and melanoma. 

"At the end of our studies, we concluded that our genetically modified TanaPox virus has the ability to regress solid tumors," he says. 

His work in both of those studies has also been published in medical journals—a rare feat for an undergraduate. Idris' research was bolstered by financial support from the Department of Biological Sciences, Office of Research and Innovation and Seita Scholars Program.

"I feel empowered. I feel that when people are given the opportunity and the trust and the grace to make mistakes, they really go very far. And that is my experience; I was trusted and I was given grace, and I have now published five papers," he says, adding that his work gives him an edge in the application process for graduate school. 

"My Western experience was really transformative. My interest in biomedical science was solidified and further fueled by my time in the lab. You're learning already established, well-supported science in the classroom, and then you're discovering new things in the lab." Experience-driven learning opportunities like undergraduate research, says Idris, can "completely change your career direction. It gives you confidence … and makes you achieve great things."

Idris also served on a student board in the College of Arts and Sciences and credits Dr. Carla Koretsky, dean, and Dr. Stephanie Peterson, associate dean, for always listening to students and advocating on their behalf. He says Peterson also supported him personally with one of his research projects.

A HIGHER CALLING

In addition to his busy class schedule and research work, Idris also held a job as a certified nursing assistant at Bronson Methodist Hospital. He also dedicated time to philanthropy.

Building on his work as a translator in Egypt, Idris volunteered as a translator for United Mission for Relief and Development, which helps Syrian refugees in Jordan. He helped facilitate communications between the organization's headquarters in Washington, D.C. and field officers in Jordan. And he didn't stop there.

"While you are trying to work globally, you also have to be engaged locally. So, I engaged in health screening for the unhoused community of Kalamazoo working through WMed," he says. 

Idris' volunteer work helped bring together his passion for health care and his interest in political science, which he also studied at Western.

"I enjoyed my political science courses because it really showed me the macro level of the world, versus my biomedical science courses showing me the micro aspects of our world, going all the way to the cellular level," says Idris. "I always wanted to become a doctor for the sake of saving human lives and alleviating human suffering. Political science puts things into perspective."

Idris is well on his way to making a big impact in the medical field, beginning a job after commencement as a clinical researcher.

"I came to the U.S. looking for a better life and stability—a place where all of my individual rights and agency are protected and respected," he says. "I dedicate all of my accomplishments to so many other capable kids who were not given the opportunity, who are still in refugee camps and whose hopes are demolished by war and conflict and destructive political ideologies."

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