High School Alliance senior’s research is stellar

Mercedes Renken, a Burke High School graduate and participant in the UNMC High School Alliance, has drawn from her research experience in the UNMC Orthopaedic Biomechanics and Advanced Surgical Technologies Laboratory, led by Director Hani Haider, PhD, to create a research project that has won a flurry of awards.

Among her honors was qualifying for the American Junior Academy of Science national science fair in Boston in February 2025.

Renken, in her second year at the High School Alliance, worked closely with UNMC research associate Alex Eischeid, who also is an alliance alum. Renken’s project helped characterize orthopaedic implant materials used in artificial joints in terms of their friction.

“We tested those materials on various types of lubricants that we would normally use in wear-testing simulation,” Eischeid said. “Before implants are brought to market, they must be tested with FDA-regulated tests. Historically, our lab developed many standardized testing methodologies now used internationally, and currently, our lab is central to an international collaboration on updates to those international standards.

“These lubricant types were something we wanted to investigate. What happens if we change them? Would that impact the friction between these materials, and how does their performance compare to the real physiological lubricants in the joints of a human?”

Renken’s role in the project, which became the basis for her award-winning research poster, was investigating the inclusion of a specific preservative agent — ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, or EDTA — in the lubricant to help make it stable during testing. Her work answered the question as to whether this additive changed friction or had an effect over time on the lubricants.

“I completed multiple coefficient of friction tests, using the lab’s friction measuring machine,” she said.

The principal conclusions from Renken’s research were that:

• An increase in EDTA concentration results in an increase in the coefficient of friction.
• EDTA preserves serum appearance and minimizes precipitation without adversely affecting the coefficient of friction over time.

While her results were incorporated into a draft paper manuscript Eischeid and the team are preparing, she also produced a research paper and poster, which then went on to win several local and regional awards.

Both Renken and Eischeid are grateful for the High School Alliance and bullish about its future.

“I heard about the program even before I started high school, so it’s been definitely in my plan the whole time,” Renken said. “Then the opportunity arose to apply to be a ‘Stellar Senior.’ I applied for that right away, as I wanted to do a lot of research.” 

The HSA Stellar Senior Program allows students who have participated in the High School Alliance as juniors to apply to return for their senior year. During their second year, students can take classes that they did not take in the first year, or the program matches them with a bench or clinical research opportunity.

Eischeid, who was in the High School Alliance in 2019-2020, called himself a late bloomer in terms of the program.

“A biology teacher of mine recommended it, and I decided that it looked like a great opportunity.

“The High School Alliance was such an important piece in that kind of puzzle of where I want to go,” he said. “It was an early way for me to confirm that this is the path for me.”

Eischeid, who is planning to attend medical school, went from the High School Alliance to Nebraska Wesleyan, where he also took part in UNMC’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program, which introduced him to Dr. Haider. He has continued at Dr. Haider’s lab after graduating from Wesleyan with a degree in biology. Both his younger brother and sister have been in the High School Alliance as well, so when he heard that the program was looking for lab placements for students and Dr. Haider’s lab had offered to be involved, he was happy to help.

“I had a project with aspects that would definitely be able to be picked up by a high school student who could find some success there,” he said. “I’d say it worked out well for us.

“Being able to provide experiences like this is a true testament of the support of our UNMC Department of Orthopaedics and the mission of UNMC. Mercedes now has the experience from working in a cutting-edge research space and a whole team of supporters behind her as she moves on to the next chapter in her education.”

Dr. Haider said, “Alex helping Mercedes and them working together speaks for the great teamwork skills that the High School Alliance instills in its students. Nebraska should be proud of this program.”

Heidi Kaschke, High School Alliance director, said it’s not uncommon for former alliance members at UNMC to give back to the program.

“It’s common for our High School Alliance alumni to want to give back and either speak to the students or host them in a lab,” Kaschke said. “There are a variety of things that our alumni can do.”

“Knowing how much the High School Alliance impacted me, and where I see myself in the future, I knew that if I had an opportunity to help a current student on their journey, I’d take advantage of that and help out whenever I could,” Eischeid said.

As for Renken, the future University of Nebraska-Lincoln student said her two-year High School Alliance experience has been everything she thought it would be. She got to shadow clinical operations, even observing a knee replacement, attend classes in genetics, biomedical research, pathology and anatomy. But the research fascinated her.

“Just taking part in research was amazing, I loved that,” Renken said. “It sets the foundation for future endeavors, and you can apply that knowledge in any classes for biology or chemistry in the future. But also, I love the connections you make — Alex was amazing, taking part in Dr. Haider’s lab was amazing.”

Kaschke said that even though High School Alliance students regularly perform well at science fairs and research competitions, the sheer number of Renken’s recognitions is impressive. “I’m racking my brain right now trying to think of any others who have had this kind of success,” she said. “We’ve had others who have qualified for the national competition, but it’s been some time since we’ve had somebody who’s won this many awards from one poster.”