Yelena Zaparina (left), Sandugash Sandybayeva (middle) and Ardak Kakimova (right) are the three Kazakhstani scientists working at Ohio State through the Bolashak Program. Credit: Courtesy of Chris Bournea
Research at Ohio State isn’t built just by Ohio natives and long-time Buckeyes.
Rather, the scientific projects conducted at the university are also researched by people across the world. Ardak Kakimova, Sandugash Sandybayeva and Yelena Zaparina are three of those researchers.
Coming to Ohio State from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Kazakhstan, the three scientists were offered the opportunity to research clean energy and mitochondrial diseases at the university through the Bolashak International Scholarship, a program designed to provide Kazakhstanis with the chance to gain work experience at universities worldwide.
“The Bolashak Program’s main objective is to get experience, exchange knowledge from worldwide and come back to Kazakhstan and implement our knowledge and experience,” Sandybayeva said.
The scientists said in order to receive the scholarship, applicants must meet a list of requirements, such as high academic success, strong foreign language skills and relevant work experience, which then influences laboratory placement.
“We need to try to find a supervisor who may invite [us]. I think this process is the most difficult, because [we] should try to find some research which is close to [us] and also which one is interesting for [us],” Zaparina said.
Zaparina noted that they are the first from Al-Farabi to work at Ohio State through the program, a large accomplishment for Al-Farabi.
The scientists are working with Patrice Hamel, an Ohio State researcher in molecular genetics and faculty member. The current focus of the lab is studying how microalgae can be used to produce biofuels or other products that are beneficial to clean energy.
“The main goal was to investigate how different carbon sources influence growth, metabolism, hydrogen production, and to better understand metabolic pathways that could be optimized for biohydrogen generation,” Kakimova said in an email.
Sandybayeva said she is also looking closely at aspects of the algae necessary to produce hydrogen.
“Green algae grows by using alternative carbon sources, so we try to detect the hydrogen production,” Sandybayeva said. “We’re doing comparative analysis of growth characteristics, like growth rate, final biomass, optical density and cell number.”
Zaparina’s research slightly differs, focusing more on mitochondrial diseases.
“Mitochondrial diseases are caused by some changes or mutations in mitochondrial DNA, which disrupt the cell’s ability to produce energy, and they can lead to serious health problems,” Zaparina said. “Right now, there are no efficient, effective treatments, and scientists are looking for some new way to fix these problems, such as gene-based therapies.”
Besides the benefits of gaining three qualified scientists, Hamel said another deeper motivation is his passion for bringing international perspectives to the lab.
Growing up in nations like Africa, the Caribbean and countries in Europe, Hamel said he is familiar with the importance of intercultural education.
“There was something about enhancing oneself through education that was very appealing,” Hamel said. “I am passionate about student learning, and having three people from Kazakhstan in my lab, investing in their training and having them in my life, they have a different exposure, and coming here has changed so much for them and me.”
Working in a formal lab setting is challenging, and navigating a new country and new systems can increase that difficulty, Zaparina said.
“[Hamel] spent five or six hours with me just sitting and explaining everything,” Zaparina said. “It was a very interesting moment for me, because it was not only about science, it was about history, culture, literature. I think I developed not only my research, but also my personal skills.”
Hamel said that the desire to learn made the process feel more personalized rather than strictly work-related.
“They wanted to learn, so that was very appealing,” Hamel said.“Coming from Kazakhstan for six months to a year, that’s bold. You just want to respond to that desire to learn and improve them.”
The scientists agreed that the connections are deeper than laboratory experience.
“On a personal level, working in an international team helps researchers grow not only professionally but also as individuals,”Kakimova said.“It builds resilience, adaptability and a sense of shared responsibility for the future.”
Including international perspectives in Ohio State research offers unique insights to global issues and opens the door wider for further collaborations, Kakimova said.
“International collaboration expands scientific horizons, opens new opportunities, and allows researchers to combine different perspectives. It also fosters cultural understanding and mutual respect, which is especially important in the current global environment,” Kakimova said. “Science has no borders, and many of today’s challenges are global issues that require global solutions.”
