NASA offers internship to UH Cancer Center graduate research assistant

March 12, 2020

Lambert Leong , a graduate research assistant at the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center and graduate student in the Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering within the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, was selected to participate in a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) internship program. The ten-week internship will be held at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

“I am excited for what I will learn, and I hope to continue to build our relationship and collaboration with NASA. I know that I will learn a lot, and gain a lot of experience, which I will bring back to the UH Cancer Center so that we can better our body shape solutions for Hawaiʻi’s diverse population,” Leong said.

Leong will work with the Anthropometry and Musculoskeletal Laboratories within NASA’s Human Systems Academy on the project, “Body Shape and Bone Modeling.” Through the use of 3D optical cameras and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), he hopes to develop methods for modeling body shape and composition. Upon the internship’s completion, Leong will apply the new knowledge to different body composition and obesity projects at the UH Cancer Center.

Since November 2018, Leong has worked in the Shepherd Research Lab at the UH Cancer Center, under the mentorship of John Shepherd, PhD. Shepherd conducts biomedical imaging research to better detect and monitor metabolic diseases and cancer risk. Leong’s work with Shepherd focuses on breast imaging and the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence for the detection and analysis of cancer risks.