University: Brigham Young University
Hometown: Provo, UT
NIH Research Project:
Effect of DNA Damage on Transcription
Mentor: Rafael Casellas, Ph.D.
Genomic Integrity Group
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
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Five years ago I had to start my life in this country and learn to communicate in English. Even though it was a big change, I was resolved to become a scientist, a dream that I have had ever since I was 8 years old. To that end, I enrolled at Brigham Young University, where I recently received dual degrees in neuroscience and molecular biology. My ultimate goal is to enroll in a joint M.D./Ph.D. program.
During my sophomore year, Dr. Dixon Woodbury opened the doors of his biophysics laboratory to me and showed me how satisfying science can be. After that year I spent a summer at the Mayo Clinic under the mentorship of Dr. Joseph Poduslo, where I helped study the role of programmed cell death in Lou Gehrig's disease.
After returning to BYU, I joined Dr. Laura Bridgewater's laboratory. Last year, she encouraged me to write a prospectus of my senior project to compete for a student grant. This grant allowed me to design and carry out a project that studied the role of bone morphogenetic proteins in the regulation of collagen genes.
Last summer, as a UGSP Scholar, I studied the activity of the JC virus during the differentiation of brain progenitor cells under the mentorship of Dr. Eugene Major. This summer I joined Dr. Rafael Casellas's laboratory in the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. I am studying the effects that DNA damage has in gene transcription. This work will help reveal the mechanisms that maintain the stability of the mammalian genome. |
