Erik (he/him/his) is a senior double majoring in Physiology & Neurobiology and Economics. On campus, he serves on the CLAS Student Leadership Board, the USG Judicial Branch, and the e-board of the Human Rights Symposium. He is also involved with STEMTalk Magazine, works as a Writing Center tutor, and volunteers with UConn KDSAP. During his free time, he works as an EMT and enjoys playing soccer and taking pictures.
Erik’s foray into research began his freshman year through the Holster Scholars program, during which he worked under the mentorship of Professor David Goldhamer of the Molecular and Cell Biology department. He studied the role of sex hormones in the pathogenesis of a rare musculoskeletal disease called fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (say that five times fast), or FOP. He has continued working in the Goldhamer Lab since then, hoping to turn his findings into therapeutics in the future.
He was fortunate enough to receive a UConn IDEA Grant during his junior year, through which he investigated the effects of knocking out a gene called Sox9 on the stem cell population primarily responsible for the abnormal bone growth observed in FOP. He was able to present this work at Frontiers Spring 2022. After his IDEA Grant, he continued studying the role of Sox9 in FOP through a SURF Award during the summer of 2022.
Erik ardently believes in the importance of research in all disciplines and hopes to pursue a career at the intersection of medical research and health policy. He encourages all UConn students to take advantage of the research opportunities the university provides. Feel free to reach out to him if you have questions about getting involved in undergraduate research, have any research-related questions, or are seeking general advice about UConn!
Student Research Blog Posts by Erik: