KENNESAW, Ga. | Sep 14, 2026

While growing up in Guatemala, David Roque Perez saw several of his relatives battling cancer with limited access to treatment and therapies. So, for the Kennesaw State University biology major, spending the summer in India researching treatments for lung cancer not only built on his growing passion for research but also his goal of improving access to care in Guatemala.

Through the Birla Carbon International Scholars Program, Roque Perez and eight other KSU students spent six weeks this summer in Goa, India, gaining real-world research experience in biology, chemistry, and physics projects alongside scientists at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani Goa Campus.

“I was handling lung cancer cells in my hands,” Roque Perez said. “Just the fact that I had to treat them and also take care of these cells was an amazing opportunity.”

In India, Roque Perez and three other KSU biology students tested a drug on lung cancer cells to learn which proteins it deactivated and how that process caused the cells to die. The researchers hope the drug will eventually lead to more effective chemotherapy treatments for patients.

An Honors student, Roque Perez came to Georgia from Guatemala six years ago on a scholarship to play high school basketball and later enrolled at KSU on his path to becoming a physician. He never considered research until he joined KSU’s First-Year Scholars Program where he worked on a project developing a device for radiation therapy and cancer treatment. Since then, his passion for research has continued to grow, eventually leading him to pursue the opportunity to participate in the Birla Carbon International Scholars Program.

“The experience in India was eye-opening to me because it confirmed my path for research,” he said. “I don’t just want to go to medical school. I still want to be involved in research and become a translational medicine scientist, being a bridge of research and new treatments for patients.”

Biology major Samya Doggett researched a less expensive way to use spectroscopy sensors to detect toxins at extremely small molecular levels. She worked with a team that tested using gasket rubber as the sensor’s base instead of the more expensive ITO-coated glass and silicon wafers.

Doggett said the experience not only taught her to work independently, but also how to adapt and improvise when familiar tools or chemicals were unavailable.

“It really expanded my way of thinking,” Doggett said. “If you get too comfortable doing research the way you know how to do it at home, then you never know what it’s like to do research across the world in a completely different way.”

The experience also introduced the students to the history and culture of Goa, India. For physics major Lucas Ruth, it was his first time traveling internationally. He participated in cultural lectures paired with visits to museums, a spice plantation, and a local village and enjoyed an array of local foods.

“It was very eye-opening to see the different ways that so many people live,” said Ruth, who researched super-conductors, materials that can conduct electricity without resistance under certain conditions.

Ruth said the experience also introduced him to working with specialized tools and lab equipment he had never used before.

“This program gave our students much more than research experience,” said Bharat Baruah, director of international programs and chemistry professor at the College of Science and Mathematics, who accompanied the students on the trip. “They learned how to work as a team, communicate across cultures and see their work from a global perspective. These are skills that will serve them well in graduate school, their careers, and future international collaborations.”

“It also strengthened KSU’s partnership with BITS Pilani Goa and Birla Carbon, opening the door to new research connections and even more opportunities for our students and faculty,” Baruah added.

The full list of students who participated are:

Chemistry: Samya Doggett, Joshua Lee, and Bennett Robertson

Faculty mentor: Dr. Bharat Baruah

Biology: Sanaa Harden, David Roque Perez, Emilio Meza Ortiz, and Nyriah Johnson

Faculty mentor: Dr. Dongyu Jia

Physics: Raphael Nelson and Lucas Ruth

Faculty mentor: Dr. Chetan Dhital

 

– Story by Christin Senior

Photos provided

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.