Where Curiosity Leads: A Medical Student Embarks on Sarnoff Fellowship Journey

By Dirk Hoffman

Qin was one of 20 students chosen nationwide to receive the prestigious honor from the Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Foundation.

He was selected for his intellectual and academic achievements as well as his leadership abilities. He will receive a $45,000 stipend to cover his living expenses during his one-year mentored research experience with preeminent cardiovascular scientists of his choosing. The research must be conducted at a medical school other than the one the fellow is enrolled in.

“The biggest goal of mine is to be deeply immersed in research and learn the habits and mindset of an independent research scientist,” Qin says.

“I would love to participate in research from its very inception — the planning and hypothesis generation — and see it through to the very end. This is something that few medical students get to do, and I am grateful to Sarnoff for making this possible.”

Qin was born in Nanning, China, and came to the United States when he was 10. He earned his undergraduate degree in biomedical sciences at the University at Buffalo before enrolling in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

He says he first knew he wanted to focus on cardiovascular medicine after meeting a young patient in the hospital with severe heart failure.

“His disease had progressed to the point that he would likely need a heart transplant within a few years,” Qin says. “Notably, he was only a few years older than I am, was completely fine just a few months ago, but now has no other options but a transplant.”

Qin says the experience stayed with him, and he was struck by its contrast to his earlier work in nephrology, where dialysis can replace kidney function.

“In cardiology, we often don’t have a similar option. This insight reminded me why I chose medicine in the first place — to provide excellent care to patients,” he says. “As I thought about what it means to care for patients when effective treatments don’t exist, I realized cardiovascular research was a meaningful extension of my goal of providing the best care possible.”

“By providing me with a more immersive research experience, I believe the Sarnoff fellowship will allow me to transform from someone who learns about scientific advances from his lectures into someone who actively contributes to the scientific process.”

Qin is interested in focusing his research on cardiac embryology and regenerative cardiology, noting cardiovascular medicine is currently in need of regenerative therapies, and given the enormous regenerative capacity of the embryonic heart, studying how the heart develops naturally could shed light on how to make these therapies a reality. 

Sarnoff fellows are also provided with an allowance for travel expenses related to finding a preceptor and laboratory — a process Qin will undertake with the help of his assigned Scientific Committee adviser, Sean M. Wu, MD, PhD, professor of medicine (cardiovascular medicine) at Stanford University.

“I was very interested in Dr. Wu’s research while applying for the Sarnoff Fellowship. Having him as an adviser is incredibly meaningful,” Qin says. “I am excited to meet with him and learn from his experience and perspective, especially since he is working on the exact things that I would like to research in the future.”

Wu will also visit the lab Qin ultimately chooses during the year, provide guidance throughout the research year and aid in overall career development.

Qin was first introduced to the Sarnoff opportunity during an information session that Michael E. Cain, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, conducts annually for first-year medical students.

“I met with Dr. Cain a few more times after that to discuss the specifics of the fellowship, as well as review drafts of my proposal,” he says. “Dr. Cain was the sponsor of my application. His insight and guidance were instrumental for my success.”

Cain, a former dean of the Jacobs School and former vice president for health sciences at UB, has a long association with the Sarnoff foundation, having served as both a member and chair of its Board of Directors and as a member and chair of its Scientific Committee.

Cain says Qin was “the motivating force for the application and its subject matter, and he pursued the task with vigor and passion.”

“I have been most impressed with his knowledge base in this area of cardiovascular medicine, his genuine desire for robust mentored-research training, his excitement, and his character,” he adds.

Cain says Sarnoff fellows enjoy lifelong alumni support and mentoring by top physicians in the country.

He also notes that Sarnoff fellows have continued interaction with other fellows, scholars, alumni and Scientific Committee members at conferences, including the Foundation’s annual scientific meeting at the end of April.

Qin says he is looking forward to the Sarnoff meeting in Philadelphia where he and the other 2026-2027 fellows will be formally introduced.

“Whenever people speak about Sarnoff, one of the first things they highlight is the strength of its community,” he says. “My interactions with my cohort and Sarnoff alumni have been virtual so far, but even then, I’ve already gotten a sense of how special that community is. I’m very much looking forward to meeting my co-fellows in person in late April.”

At the Jacobs School, Qin has been involved in conducting research on astrocyte metabolism in the lab of Mikhail V. Pletnikov, MD, PhD, professor and chair of physiology and biophysics.

He says he is grateful to both Pletnikov and Kateryna Murlanova, PhD, a postdoctoral associate in the lab, for their patience and mentorship.

Qin has also conducted research into food insecurity in higher education with Jennifer A. Campbell, PhD, MPH, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Population Health.

In addition to Cain, Qin also cites Alan J. Lesse, MD; Mark R. O’Brian, PhD; and Katelynn A. Carr, PhD; as mentors who provided detailed feedback on his Sarnoff proposal.

Qin says he also has some “amazing classmates” who provided significant support through editorial feedback (Noah Kim) and interview preparation (Jacqueline Chen and Gird Ceno).

“I think this whole process illustrated the incredible community we have at the Jacobs School,” he says. “People at every level were more than willing to lend a hand when I needed them, and I truly could not have done it without their support.”