Hailey (she/her) is a senior majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology and minoring in Healthcare Management and Insurance Studies. As a STEM Scholar and member of the Honors Program, Hailey is deeply involved in both academics and campus life. Outside of research, Hailey serves as Vice President of Pre-Medical Society, a Health Professions Peer Ambassador through the Pre-Med Advising Office, and a Microbiology TA. In her free time, she also enjoys dancing and trying new coffee shops!

Research has been a cornerstone of Hailey’s college experience, giving her the chance to approach questions creatively and from new perspectives. She began her journey the summer after her freshman year in Dr. Caroline Dealy’s lab at UConn Health, where she studied the role of an alternatively spliced EGFR isoform, working to improve cancer diagnostic tests. This project culminated in poster presentations at both UConn Health Summer Research Day and UConn’s Frontiers in Undergraduate Research Exhibition.

After taking an antibiotic discovery course, Hailey developed a passion for microbiology, the microbiome, and their implications for personalized medicine. She now works in Dr. Nyholm’s lab on campus studying the microbiome of the Hawaiian bobtail squid, with a focus on novel antibiotic discovery and development. This research will also serve as the basis of her Honors Thesis. At the same time, her college experience has been shaped by working with diverse communities and seeing firsthand how cultural identity and healthcare intersect. These perspectives inspired her current research in Dr. Park’s lab on the role of religion and spirituality in health and human flourishing. Looking ahead, Hailey hopes to attend medical school and carry her curiosity and perspective into a future career in medicine.

Hailey knows how overwhelming it can feel to get started in research, choose a lab, or figure out what excites you enough to pursue it. She encourages students to keep an open mind and view research as a tool to explore personal interests in creative and sometimes unexpected ways. She’s always happy to chat about finding opportunities, discovering passions, and navigating the ups and downs of the research journey!