As she begins her time in the University of Colorado Cancer Center’s PIKE-PREP research training program for post-baccalaureate students this month, Fahiima Abdullahi is taking another step in a mentoring journey that goes back to her days as an undergraduate at CU Denver.
“I've always been interested in science and medicine, but I didn't really solidify that interest until early in undergrad, when I did a summer internship program on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus,” says Abdullahi, who grew up in Englewood, Colorado. “That’s where I first got paired with Dr. Mercedes Rincon, who introduced me to the MD-PhD program, which is something I didn't even know existed. She also educated me about other programs and opportunities available to me, and she even paired me with some doctors to shadow. That really solidified my interest in medicine.”
Starting early
Rincon, a CU Cancer Center member and professor of immunology and microbiology in the CU School of Medicine, connected Abdullahi with opportunities through the cancer center’s Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) program, which supports multidisciplinary education and training of mentees across a broad spectrum of educational stages including middle and high school students, undergraduates, post-baccalaureates, graduate students, medical students, residents, and fellows.
“I’ve always believed that if you want to grow and develop yourself in research, you have to start early,” Rincon says. “Fahiima was an exceptional case, because she came to me after that first year and asked if she could join the lab. That's when I realized that she has passion. I don't have many students, but I like the students who are really driven. And Fahiima has shown that from the beginning.”
Creating a physician-scientist
Working in Rincon’s lab throughout her CRTEC experience, on a project studying the role of CD8 T cells in cancer therapy, has helped Abdullahi develop her research skills, while shadowing other physician-scientists has inspired her to pursue a career at both the bench and the bedside.
“It's been really great to see how that project has evolved and how we’ve been able to answer our research questions over time,” says Abdullahi, 22, who received a degree in biology from CU Denver. “I'd like to be a clinician and a researcher, and that ability to apply what you're doing in research to the patients you're seeing clinic is really inspiring.”
Carrying it forward
In addition to the mentoring and training she has received at the CU Cancer Center through CRTEC, Abdullahi also spent last summer doing a medical research internship at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. She is participating in PIKE-PREP with the plan of applying for medical school in spring 2026. She hopes to stay involved in cancer research, inspired by her CRTEC experiences.
“These programs have been very helpful, especially since each one is unique in its own way and allowed me to learn about something different,” she says. “The first program I did was more immunology-focused, and I learned about PhD programs and research and what that career looks like. Getting into the cancer biology side of things and learning how you can incorporate medicine into that was really helpful as well. The CRTEC programs allowed me to learn about those types of things.”
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