Student Adventures

Tasmia Ahmed and Paola Cruz Flores

This past summer, we had this amazing opportunity to visit Ireland to attend a conference. The whole trip was 2-weeks long. The first week we spent in the conference, and the following week we roamed all around Ireland and visited some very cool places.

Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) organized the conference entitled: “The TGF-β Superfamily Conference: Signaling in Development and Disease,” that took place in Malahide, Ireland, from July 17th to July 21st, 2022. Lee lab is fundamentally a TGFβ signaling focused lab. As the conference was exploring specifically the field of TGFβ signaling, it was an extremely beneficial experience for both our professional and academic development.

We received the GPSC travel grant and a NIH travel award for attending the conference. We both have presented a short talk and a poster where we presented our research from our recent publications. For our short talks we both won the ‘outstanding short talk’ awards in the category of talks presented by the graduate students.

It was very exciting to meet some of the greatest researchers in the TGFβ field whose work we have been avidly following, citing and have been collaborating with but had never got the chance to meet them in person until this conference. This conference was an excellent platform to establish ourselves as young researchers and has helped us incredibly to learn from the top scientists and our peers from different parts of the world.

The week following the conference, we spent in enjoying the picturesque scenic beauty of Ireland! Words or pictures cannot justify the beauty and the serenity of this country. We have visited couple of the classic tourist attraction spots such as The Cliffs of Moher, Aran’s Island, Killarney National Park, The Rink of Kerry and the Dublin city especially the Trinity College. We loved the castles especially because of their histories and stories related to them. Also loved the road trips that we took; those journeys were fantastic scenic drives in itself.

The drives by the mighty Atlantic along with the beautiful weather has made the journey very refreshing and enjoyable. We have learned a lot about the Irish culture, food, art, history, and had a very fond memory to participate in an Irish dance with the local dancers!

The whole experience in Ireland will certainly be one of our best memories and we will always cherish them for the fabulous time we spent there.

I spent most of my time at MIT working in Dr. Laura Kiessling’s lab, where I developed and tested chemical probes to study bacterial cell envelopes. I was grateful to learn about a wide variety of techniques in organic synthesis, biochemistry, and microbiology.

MSRP-Bio also provided opportunities to meet professors, attend mini-conferences, and present our work. Outside of the program, I enjoyed exploring Boston and relaxing with my cohort and lab mates. I am so glad I took this opportunity, and I highly recommend it!

Rachel Hurley

This past summer I participated in the Global Medcats study abroad trip. I travelled to the small town of Mérida, Spain, where I spent four days a week shadowing doctors in a hospital and spent my weekends traveling throughout Spain and Portugal. Upon my arrival in Spain, I met 12 other women partaking in the study abroad trip who would soon become some of my closest friends.

Caleb Knoecek

As part of the Dorrance Scholarship Programs, I have had the wonderful opportunity to study abroad across France and Italy during the fall 2022 semester. During my trip, I visited art museums and historical monuments to develop an understanding of classical civilizations and art history.

As a biochemistry and molecular and cellular biology double major, studying the humanities has allowed me to develop a unique interdisciplinary mindset that I am excited to apply to future studies and careers.

In the upcoming spring 2023 semester, I am planning on studying abroad in Alcalá de Henares in Spain to further my Spanish language skills and pursue a third major in Spanish.

Nick Mortimore

I did research this past summer for the Beckman Program in the Buchan Lab. Throughout the summer, I was a UBRP Small Group Leader, where I mentored new UBRP students in undergraduate research. Unassociated with the Beckman Program, I was also elected as the UBRP Ambassador President where I have led and planned activities/field trips for UBRP students.

Recently, I travelled to CalTech in Pasadena, California, to attend the Annual Beckman Symposium, where I met with fellow Beckman awardees and program organizers to talk about research and the continuation of the Beckman legacy. I did not present at this conference, but I will present at the one held next year.

Additionally, I went to Flagstaff for a retreat with the Buchan Lab to talk about research and to familiarize myself with my fellow lab members. In terms of my research, I am heading my own project with direct mentorship from Dr. Buchan to construct a screen in yeast—looking for the effects of 3’UTRs on Protein-Protein Interaction strength.

Madison O’Callaghan

Having spent two months in Europe this past summer, I am excited to be back at U of A having gained so many new experiences and friendships. I took a three-week sculpture course for my studio art minor in Aix-en-Provence, France, putting my French minor to use for the first time outside of the states. I was housed with another UA student by my French hostess, Anne-Marie, who always made sure to offer a glass of Provence Rosé with dinner in her chic, picturesque home. With my new friends I got to kayak in the Gorges du Verdon, hike in the calanques of Cassis, visit the infamous lavender fields, mosey through art museums, and so much more.

In my sculpture course, I couldn’t help but notice how art and science depend on one another as we worked with various mixtures of plastilina and a range of temperatures fighting against us (hence the melted head of my self-portrait!). Taking opportunities such as this has only enhanced my experience with my biochemistry degree and helps me to see science throughout the world around us. My time at UA has been an amazing journey as I prepare to go to dental school, where art and science will continue to merge constantly. Thank you to the U of A for facilitating such a special opportunity that leaves me more well-rounded and excited to continue on with my career!

Anna Ramsook

My name is Anna Ramsook, and I’m a junior at the U of A! I am majoring in biochemistry and minoring in human health and values. I am also a CBC ambassador and peer mentor! This past summer, I studied abroad in London through UA’s partner, St Mary’s University. I spent 6 weeks in London and took a class called Renaissance London. I loved this class because I got to learn about the history of London while exploring the city on my daily adventures.

Over the course of 6 weeks, I did all of the classic tourist activities such as visiting Buckingham Palace and riding the London Eye. I also explored some local favorites such as Green Park and the Wimbledon Championships. My weekends consisted of traveling to see the White Cliffs of Dover, the beach in Brighton, Edinburgh Castle in Scotland, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France!

My time abroad allowed me to see so many new things and learn about British culture and customs. I also gained confidence in navigating a new place through boats, trains, planes,

Beverly Ru

I am a fifth-year graduate student in Dr. Andrei Sanov’s lab. I was given the opportunity to do a summer internship at Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) under my supervisor, Bret Maughan, a previous graduate student at U of A. There I worked on high-vacuum systems and analyzed materials given by DoD contractors. Everyone that I worked with and met was wonderful, friendly, and welcoming.

Outside of work, I spent my time exploring Logan, Utah. I walked my dog, Luna, around the neighborhood and enjoyed the greenery. I picked up indoor rock climbing again. In addition, I went outdoor rock climbing with coworkers and other employees for the first time. I went hiking with friends and, of course, Luna. I kayaked in a reservoir, which was quite relaxing and fun. I explored Ogden and Salt Lake City, Utah. Overall, my experience at SDL and Utah was filled with wonderful and unforgettable memories that I will always cherish.