Senior biochemistry major Tuyen Tran recently received a $3,000 research scholarship to aid him in his studies on how exposure to secondhand smoke may increase the risk of heart disease for women.

This research project will focus primarily on heart disease among women because, according to his statistical research papers, Tran explained that women tend to have a higher rate of heart disease than men.

Tran moved to the U.S. in 2004 from Vietnam with his family, and didn't speak any English at the time.

He began studying biology during his junior year at Golden West College, and transferred to Cal State Long Beach in 2009.

Tran's desire to become a researcher started at the age of 20, when his father died of cancer.

"I want to find the reason why we have the disease and the source of the reason," Tran said.

Tran's research will be conducted with the use of recombinant plasmid, a gene in vitro, from a rat to see how the smoke affects it.

Since a plasmid is a circular piece of DNA separated from chromosomal DNA that may be used in isolated "test tube" experiments, no live rodents will be used or harmed for Tran's research.

Tran said that he learned from his readings that secondhand smoke could expose people to the same conditions as primary smokers even though they aren't inhaling it directly.

"I think the reason why is because they inhale the smoke from many people, not just one cigarette," Tran said.

Tran explained that if someone walks across campus and passes several smokers, then they could be inhaling smoke from several different types of cigarettes.

He will conduct his research with his mentor Vasanthy Narayanaswami, assistant professor of biochemistry.

Tran has also received a lot of support from his family for his research.

"Sometimes I have to spend a lot of time at the lab, but they still understand and still support me," Tran said.

He said he wants to become a researcher and medical practitioner in pathology, the study and diagnosis of a disease.

He also said this project will give him the research experience necessary to be competitive for graduate school.

"I'm very excited and look forward to working on this project," Tran said. "I really want to find out why smoke relates to heart disease — it's very interesting."

Tran was one of only 11 students awarded the Howell-CSUPERB Research Scholar Award.

CSUPERB (CSU Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology) partnered with the Doris A. Howell Foundation for Women's Health Research to fund promising undergraduate student research projects in topics related to women's health.

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Student to research link between heart disease in women and secondhand smoke