Because Drew Colson spends his school year at Mississippi State and his summers at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, it may appear that his loyalties are split.
But ask the MSU senior biochemistry major about whether he's a Bulldog or Black Bear, and he quickly says, "true maroon."
Before his senior year at Northwest Rankin High School, Colson was working at a golf course near Jackson and just happened to run into Dr. Joey Granger, dean of the UMC graduate school. Knowing that he wanted to eventually pursue a medical degree, he asked the dean about possible internships that the medical school might offer.
The happenstance meeting could be called an "ace in the hole" for Colson, who has been doing research in Granger's lab for the past four years as part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience or SURE program.
"Mississippi State has definitely given me the right preparation for the work I've been doing at UMC," Colson said, explaining that his research in the UMC lab focuses on reactive oxygen species that contribute to preeclampsia, a hypertension disorder during pregnancy.
Colson said, "Each year that I've progressed through school, it has become more and more evident that the knowledge I've gained at MSU has translated very well to the specific training in UMC's physiology lab."
Colson's research has gained him recognition as an American Physiological Society 2011 David S. Bruce Outstanding Undergraduate Abstract Awardee, one of only 24 such winners nationwide. His work also has been presented at conferences in New Orleans, La., San Diego, Calif., and Washington, D.C.
When asked about his future plans, the Brandon native said he hopes to attend medical school at UMC, but will remain "all Bulldog" after his 2012 spring graduation from Mississippi State.