He initially set his path toward medical school. That led him to research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI had seen that participating in research was beneficial for a medical school application, so I decided to try it just to boost my chances,\u201d Allen says. He secured a research position in Dr. Jason Wilder<\/a>\u2019s lab, studying how viral genes spread through fruit fly populations. And while the research topic didn\u2019t inspire him, the process did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was about as far separated from what I would ever want to research as possible,\u201d Allen says. \u201cBut I got really good at the basics of research, and even though I wasn’t super passionate about that project, it was still enjoyable because it’s like constant puzzle solving. And I like puzzle solving.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Allen enjoyed research so much that he shifted his focus from medical school to a research-heavy master\u2019s program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But first, he helped build a peer mentoring program focused solely on student veterans. He knew that such an initiative was sorely needed because when he wasn\u2019t in the lab, in class, or studying, he worked as the only undergraduate veteran peer mentor on campus. \u201cI was taking on anywhere from 50\u2014on a slow semester\u2014to 150 new student veterans coming in that I would mentor,\u201d Allen says. \u201cAnd as I was getting ready to graduate, it was pretty apparent that we needed to find somebody else to do it. But everybody we talked to said there was no way they could take on that many students at the same time.\u201d Instead of just walking away, Allen devoted himself to helping build the Vet Jacks Veteran Student Mentoring Program<\/a>, housed within the Veteran and Military Services office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Peer mentoring is a powerful support tool for students, providing advice and guidance from a relatable source. That relatability is key\u2014for student veterans, their shared military service provides a strong base for connection during the transition to university life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During his last semester as an undergraduate, Allen trained four students hired as the first Vet Jacks mentors. The program has been going strong ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Allen was then ready for his next academic challenge, NAU\u2019s Master of Science in Biology<\/a> program. This time, he had a research topic with deep personal significance: with Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Matt Salanga<\/a> as his mentor, Allen would study uranium toxicity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor me, that was really meaningful because two highly impacted populations for depleted uranium are veterans of the military and the Navajo population. Part of my ancestry is Navajo, and I have family on the rez who are living through this uranium exposure. And then I have friends I deployed with who were around depleted uranium all the time because it’s not considered toxic by the Department of Defense.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Allen\u2019s research showed evidence that cell metabolism is drastically impaired in the presence of depleted uranium. A variety of adverse health effects have been associated with impaired metabolism, including diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune disorders. Allen\u2019s research results are a step toward understanding the impact of uranium on living organisms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More than 500 abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Reservation have contaminated the soil and water, creating a health risk for people who live and work in the area. Many veterans have also been exposed to high levels of depleted uranium used in military vehicles and weaponry.<\/p>\n\n\n\nVets helping vets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Research with meaning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Lab](\"https:\/\/legacy.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/179\/2022\/10\/5424_Ron_Allen_20220921-1-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat comes next<\/h3>\n\n\n\n