After a summer researching at the Yale Cancer Center, I wanted to jump right into research as a freshman, which became possible through the Holster Scholars Program. I joined the Balunas Lab in the School of Pharmacy, where I looked to elucidate the mechanism of action of a potential anti-cancer compound. The goal of the project was to determine the binding substrate of the compound, which we believed to be an HDAC inhibitor. I presented my findings at the Holster Scholar Symposium, and I completed the work after two more semesters.
In the summer of 2016, I was a Summer Student Worker for Pfizer Pharmaceutical. As part of the Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology team, I worked to validate an assay that could screen hepatotoxic compounds in animals. My model system was a genetically-modified zebrafish line, which had been tagged with GFP at a liver-specific promoter. I interned at Pfizer again in the summer of 2017 with the Early Clinical Development group. By utilizing high-content human protein arrays, I identified several key proteins as potential biomarkers for a rare amyloid disease.
My current research is being conducted in the Wang Lab in the Physiology and Neurobiology department. I am studying the role of PDK-4, a protein kinase involved in metabolism, in liver cancer progression and abrogation. Using advanced biochemical and molecular biology techniques, I aim to uncover the links and potential therapeutic targets of proteins regulating metabolism and the cell cycle. This project has evolved into a senior thesis project that I will complete as a University Scholar.
Independent research has also been a part of my UConn experience. What started as a small idea turned into a full-fledged research project and eventual business idea. Our team, CRISPRx, was selected as a finalist for the UConn Innovation Quest and InQbator program in 2017, where we spent six weeks through the summer learning how to start a biotech company, run a start-up business, network, pitch to investors, and more.
My experience in both academia and industry has shown me the diverse settings in which research is conducted. If you have questions regarding either experience, please feel free to contact me! Research has been a large part of my undergraduate career, and I highly recommend that anyone interested in pursuing a project that requires critical analysis and hands-on work consider joining a lab.