Advancing Science and Building Community

A research fellow in cardiology for the past three years at the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, Raheem Khadour (Syria, UWC Mahindra College, College of the Atlantic ’25) has been chosen to present his work at two national science conferences, and is a contributing author to a paper published in the Journal of Immunology. He also won first place for the presentation of his research at a statewide student showcase convened by the Bioscience Association of Maine.

At the Jackson Laboratory’s Rosenthal Lab, “my main project has focused on validating and establishing a mouse model for a disease called heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF),” Raheem writes. “I have been learning and practicing skills such as echocardiography, microscopy, sectioning and staining, and more to pursue this research.” 

Raheem, who hopes to become a heart surgeon, also won grant support to pursue research at the Bar Harbor lab “on preserving the adolescent development stage in mice to prolong life expectancy and research on the effects of Anti-PD1 immune checkpoint inhibitor cancer therapy on the heart.”       

The journal article, he writes, “describes a new mouse model genetically engineered to study severe heart and muscle inflammation (myocarditis and myositis) triggered by anti-PD-1 cancer therapy, an immune checkpoint inhibitor. This model helps uncover the immune mechanisms behind these life-threatening side effects, providing insights for better diagnosis and treatment strategies.”     

Raheem also started a coffee house on campus, in collaboration with the college. “I find great value in creating community spaces where people gather together. I think the world is too chaotic and we rarely make time to enjoy each other’s company, or even make time to have a conversation that could help us understand each other.

This profile is part of the “Undergraduates in Action” series from the 2025 Annual Report.