I participated in the Undergraduate Research Scholarship (URS) during the Summer of 2020 as a Ledell Family scholar. I presented my summer’s research at UC San Diego’s 2020 Summer Research Conference. The summer AEP workshops encouraged my application and allowed me to present my research again at the SACNAS conference last October. Currently, I am a part of the Faculty Mentor Program (FMP) while also taking BISP199.
I work with worms that I can barely see! In the Chalasani Lab at Salk Institute, I seek to uncover how the microbiome elicits physiological and behavioral changes in the model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans. I am equally interested in the identification and characterization of a previously unacknowledged skin microbiome on these animals.
I entered my first year of college without a clear idea of a desired career path. Even my major had the word “general” in it! I took some fascinating cellular biology courses, learned what a Ph.D. is, and decided I wanted to experience the field of academia and research. I scoured the web and REAL portal for lab positions. After volunteering a quarter at SIO in the Taylor lab (a wonderful research opportunity found on the REAL portal), I interviewed with Shrek Chalasani, an accomplished and encouraging P.I. of a neurobiology lab at Salk. I have worked here for over a year alongside brilliant scientists and mentors who support undergraduate research.
I admire everything about education and want to continue both learning and teaching. I plan to attend graduate school, get my Ph.D., and eventually conduct research while being an instructor at some sort of college/university. But of course, things are bound to change. Either way, I am excited for the years to come and the science to be learned.
Are you interested in undergraduate research and/or scholarship opportunities like this one? Contact UR to learn more.