At UNH, undergraduate research is a unique experience that is personalized to individual interests and goes well beyond the lab sciences many associate with the term “research.” My interest in research started before I even applied to college. During the last two years of high school, I took advantage of a Career in Technical Education (CTE) program focused on biomedical science. The lab-intensive classes quickly became my favorite part of my day. Before I knew it, I was puzzling over Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) genetics and presenting my six-month senior capstone. This experience awoke an itching curiosity that I knew I had to keep exploring. My solution? Find a research lab that would let me learn as much as I could as soon as I could.
Once I landed at UNH, I had my goal, but I had no idea how to find a research mentor to start the process. I knew I was interested in human health and disease, but many labs fit under that category. I was overwhelmed, to say the least. However, I found the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research, and they worked with me to narrow down a list of potential research mentors. By the end of my first semester, I was reaching out to my first professor. To my surprise, I need not look any further. Several weeks later my mentor, Dr. Wojchowski, and I applied for the Research Experience and Apprenticeship Program (REAP) through the Hamel Center. The Wojchowski lab focuses on cellular and molecular mechanisms of red blood cell growth factors, which are important for the development of treatments for many blood and non-blood related diseases.
During the summer of 2022, I worked under Dr. Wojchowski, optimizing a growth assay for an erythroid cell line and validating the prolific effect of a knockdown of a novel protein. I learned many techniques including cell culture, lentiviral knockdowns, how to manage a research schedule, and how to communicate with my lab mentor and the post-doctoral researcher within a scientific setting. The experience was a great chance to orient myself in an academic research lab and to learn the basic skills that I often use now.
REAP » INCO
By the end of the summer, I wanted to continue in the lab, which led me to the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research’s INCO 590/790 credit-variable courses. These courses were a great way to earn credit for research during the semester, and they were incredibly personalized by my lab mentor and me. During my sophomore year, I used my INCOs to further my cell culture techniques, and I also learned to mentor other students. At this point, I became independent when carrying out lab procedures, and I was looking to explore other topics that interested me.
INCO » SURF
I began to talk to my current research mentor, Dr. Walker, about her research in breast and ovarian cancer. I was learning more about cellular biology, and I made the difficult decision to switch research labs to pursue my new interest in drug resistance in triple-negative breast cancer. At this point, I was in the fall semester of my junior year. I used my spare time to establish myself in the Walker lab and learn new skills. I transferred from a small lab of approximately four researchers to a larger lab of ten, which was a great opportunity to gain more mentors and interact with other students who shared common interests. By the end of the spring semester, I had begun preliminary research on the viability and migration of drug-resistant triple negative breast cancer cell lines and presented my findings at the Undergraduate Research Conference. During this time, I also worked with Dr. Walker to write a project proposal for another Hamel Center grant: the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF). The process was straightforward because the application format was similar to REAP, except this time I was at the forefront of the proposal writing and research process.
I completed my SURF project in 2024, and I expanded my assay repertoire to include invasion assays and western blotting while learning the skills needed to self-direct my research. Most of all, I enjoyed the process of planning out my experiments and spending the day in the lab with my lab mates. The summer was a great time to deepen my relationships with the graduate students in the lab, and I learned many tips while interacting with them daily.
Currently, I am continuing my SURF research and incorporating it into my Honors thesis in anticipation of a spring 2025 graduation. The Hamel Center’s programs have been a great scaffold to develop myself into the student researcher I am now, while still allowing me to personalize my path and explore my interests. The REAP grant taught me how to initiate communication with faculty and to develop basic lab skills, INCO courses allowed me to gain credit while further developing these skills and contributing to the Wojchowski lab, and the SURF award helped me develop more independence and autonomy in my research.
While my path has been rather linear, there are many ways students at UNH incorporate research into their undergraduate years. The Hamel Center also offers grants for students performing research during the academic year (Undergraduate Research Awards), as well as for students interested in pursuing international research (through the International Research Opportunities Program) and those who wish to present their findings in a professional venue (Research Presentation Grants). If you want to participate in research, the best thing I learned is to ask questions and learn as much as possible about the opportunities that are available to you. Research at UNH is incredibly supportive, so use the resources available.
