Roma (she/her) is a senior in the Honors Program double-majoring in Physiology & Neurobiology and Molecular & Cell Biology. Outside of research, she serves as the Program Director for Windham Hospital Volunteering Services through UConn Community Outreach, where she coordinates volunteers and helps strengthen partnerships between students and the hospital. She is also involved in clinical volunteering and mentoring, and enjoys playing pickleball, traveling, and spending time outdoors.

Roma began her research journey during her first semester at UConn in Dr. Jianjun Sun’s lab in the Department of Physiology & Neurobiology. Her research focuses on the role of matrix metalloproteinases in collective cell migration using Drosophila (fruit flies) as a model for understanding processes relevant to cancer metastasis and reproductive biology. She continued this work through a Summer Undergraduate Research Fund (SURF) Award from the Office of Undergraduate Research and has presented her findings at UConn’s Frontiers in Undergraduate Research Exhibition and Columbia University’s National Premier Undergraduate Research Conference.

As her interests developed, Roma sought opportunities to explore research beyond traditional bench science. She spent a summer at the Yale Cardiovascular Research Center in the Nicoli Lab studying vascular development and angiogenesis in zebrafish. She currently works with Dr. Javeed Sukhera at Hartford HealthCare as a research intern, where she contributes to implementation science and medical education projects focused on physician well-being and improving prescribing practices. She also collaborates on an independent population health research project examining associations between social support and food insecurity. These experiences have allowed her to explore research spanning basic biological science, implementation science, and public health, and have shown her the different ways research can contribute to improving healthcare.

Looking ahead, Roma hopes to pursue a career as a physician and continue integrating research into her clinical practice. Having explored several areas of research as an undergraduate, she is especially interested in understanding how discoveries at the bench can ultimately translate into better patient care and health outcomes. As a Peer Research Ambassador, she hopes to help students navigate the process of finding research opportunities, especially those who may be unsure where to begin or which type of research is right for them. She encourages students to explore broadly, ask questions, and recognize that their first research experience does not have to determine the direction of their entire career.