Ride for Jim

2011 Fellow: Chris Hong

Chris Hong is a medical student at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. Born and raised in San Jose, California very close to the heart of Silicon Valley. He attended Santa Clara University where he received a bachelors degree in electrical engineering in 2004 and a masters degree in electrical engineering in 2006. From 2004 to 2010, he worked as an electrical engineer at ITT Corporation, designing and developing high frequency signal intelligence systems for the US military.

In 2005, a close relative was diagnosed with cancer, and it was his arduous journey which ignited his interest in medicine as a career path. He was fascinated by the science of healthcare and the technology of the treatment. He began shadowing physicians and volunteering in hospitals and soon discovered that he sincerely enjoyed interacting with patients and the idea of being able to provide care for people in his community. The following year, he began taking pre-medical courses in the hopes of applying to medical school.

In 2008, he suffered from a disc herniation and sciatica due to a weight lifting injury. Over the next ten months, he endured severe back and leg pain and lost the physical freedoms he once took for granted. For physical conditioning, he took to cycling because he was no longer able to run. He quickly fell in love with the sport. Through cycling, he was able to strengthen his core, improve his fitness, and eventually recover from injury. It was a very difficult time in his life, and it was cycling which enabled his body and spirits to feel whole again.

He was extremely excited when he heard about the James D. Popp Summer Research Fellowship because, not only is it an excellent opportunity for research, but also because it combines two things that have had a profound impact on his life: cancer and cycling. He is extremely honored to have the opportunity to contribute towards the fight against cancer through research. Also, during one not so distant summer, He hopes to participate in the Transamerica Ride for Jim (if his wife lets him) because it is a fun and unique way to promote cancer research while honoring a great man.

2010 Fellow: Kyle Kindley

Kyle Kindley is a medical student at the VCU School of Medicine with aspirations of becoming an oncologist. He was born and raised in Clarksville, Virginia, a small town with approximately 1,200 citizens. Kyle graduated from the University of Virginia in 2009 with a B.A. in Physics. He is an avid outdoorsman, enjoying hobbies including biking, hunting, and fishing. Kyle has biked several trails throughout Virginia, but has never attempted such a daunting feat as the TransAmerica Ride for Jim. However, he did mention that, "the Ride for Jim is truly a 'once-in-a-lifetime' adventure, and I would be honored to be able to partake in the ride following my residency years. The summer fellowship gives me further inspiration to join the ride and provide fellow researchers the opportunity to perform cancer research due to the helpful contributions afforded by the Ride for Jim.

As a lifelong resident of Southside Virginia, Kyle wishes to return home after studying oncology to serve cancer patients who yearn for the stable establishment of a patient-oncologist relationship. Before starting medical school, he volunteered in many cancer related settings including Relay for Life and the Pediatric Oncology department at the VCU Medical Center. However, the Jim Popp research experience will be his first exposure to the extensive process of cancer research. Despite minimal experience in research, he is very excited to have been awarded the first Jim Popp Summer Research Fellowship. Kyle is currently discussing topics with several researchers at the Massey Cancer Center, and he is hoping to have a project started by this June. He concluded, "I would like to thank all who have graciously donated and volunteered their time to make the Ride for Jim a reality.

Kyle says of his experience: "I was grateful enough to be awarded the Ride for Jim Summer Fellowship award in its inaugural year of 2010. After spending that summer working with Dr. David Williams at the Massey Cancer Center, I was able to learn the tools of the trade of a research laboratory and integrated new trained skills to become a successful researcher. Our research team focused on DNA-protein interaction with a specific oncogene and utilized protein structure mechanics to generate a synthetic protein to interact with the DNA strand. My team was able to make a poster with our data to display at a national genetic conference at the University of North Carolina. We are currently working on a publication, and I hope to continue this amazing journey in the field of research in the future. Also, I am currently in the process of searching for another nationally recognized cancer research conference to further share the knowledge I have gained through this incredible opportunity."