Full Circle: ASURE Alum Returns to Pursue MD-PhD

When Elisa Bu Sha first arrived at Dartmouth for a summer research experience, she couldn't have predicted that she'd be back, this time as an MD-PhD student. The daughter of two former Geisel postdocs, she grew up hearing stories about their time in Hanover: their first home together, the snow-covered mountains, and the welcoming academic community.

Originally from Plainsboro, New Jersey, Bu Sha attended the Academic Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (ASURE) program, during Summer 2023 and Summer 2024 with the goal of deepening her experience and finding clarity in her future plans in medicine and science. At the time, she was an undergraduate at Rutgers University, majoring in biological sciences with a growing interest in neuroscience and cancer biology.

The ASURE program, part of the Leadership Alliance, is an undergraduate summer research program focusing on immersive lab experience, mentorship from faculty and graduate students, and professional development opportunities that help participants explore and prepare for careers in research and medicine.

"ASURE gave me the chance to explore what it really means to be a physician-scientist," Bu Sha said. "I was matched with Dr. Kelli Pointer's lab and worked on a glioblastoma project, combining targeted therapies with radiation. It completely shifted my focus." 

The program didn't just connect Bu Sha to hands-on research–it opened doors to mentorship, community, and academic networks that helped shape her career path. Through ASURE, she shadowed physicians, connected with graduate students and medical students, and presented her research at a poster session that brought together students from across Dartmouth's summer programs.

"For me that was such a wonderful experience to get direct insight into this career that I was considering," she said. "To be able to work in the lab on trying to investigate treatments for a disease and then get to go and see the patients and see what their needs were in the clinic. I thought that was absolutely amazing."

ASURE program director and assistant dean for access and community at the Guarini School Hector Sanchez notes that a sense of community is central to the program's impact. "We make sure students feel welcomed and supported from the moment they arrive," Sanchez said. "Building a strong cohort and fostering mentorship, inside and outside the lab, is what sets ASURE apart. The relationships formed here continue long after the program ends, and they often help launch students into advanced degrees and impactful careers in science and medicine."

The program also helped her refine her academic direction. After a conversation during her ASURE experience, Bu Sha was introduced to a faculty member back at Rutgers working in a similar area of cancer research. That connection serendipitously led to her senior thesis in radiation oncology. 

Bu Sha is now enrolled in Dartmouth's MD-PhD program and will pursue her PhD in the molecular and cellular biology (MCB) program. She's excited to return to Hanover, this time as a member of the graduate community.

"Dartmouth always felt like a place where I could build a new community," she said. "It feels like I've come full circle."