This summer, biology students Bella Kelly-Stewart ’27, Elena Vega ’27 and Ashton Jones ’29 cultivated their research skills, conducting self-directed research under the guidance of Associate Professor of Biology Lea Alford. The experience strengthened their technical proficiency, taught them to navigate challenges and illuminated their career paths after graduation.
For Kelly-Stewart, the summer was a step toward a future Honors thesis in cell biology. Her research focused on a novel protein found in cilia, continuing the work other students in the Alford Lab had completed before her.
鈥淭his experience has shown me what research is like outside of the classroom environment and how much I truly enjoy science,鈥� she said.
Over the course of her research, Kelly-Stewart learned new laboratory techniques including media preparation, cell culturing and a variety of assays while also building on skills developed in class. Much of her growth, she reports, came from the collaborating with her fellow students. Students worked on individual projects while regularly sharing ideas, troubleshooting challenges and discussing results during weekly lab meetings.
鈥淭his is a very collaborative lab,鈥� Kelly-Stewart said. 鈥淲e are working together to fix issues, interpret data and strengthen our understanding.鈥�
That collaborative environment was shaped in part by Dr. Alford鈥檚 advisement.
鈥淪he is my mentor and helps me work through any data and experimental issues that I am having,鈥� Kelly-Stewart said. 鈥淪he is also like a friend. We tell jokes and embarrassing stories, and we are always laughing at something.鈥�
Vega’s research focused on FAP93, a protein found at the base of cilia in the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. By studying how FAP93 assembles and what other proteins it depends on, she contributed to a broader understanding of cilia鈥� microscopic structures that play important roles across many organisms鈥� including humans.
鈥淯nderstanding novel proteins in cilia can inform any cilia-related disorders in humans and tell us about ciliary structure in a plethora of other organisms besides the one we study,鈥� Vega said.
Working in the Alford Lab since the beginning of the year, Vega used the summer to deepen her research experience and refine her laboratory skills. The experience also helped clarify her future plans.
鈥淭his summer has solidified my interest in research, and it鈥檚 definitely something I want to incorporate into my future career,鈥� Vega said.
Jones, a first-year biology student, spent the summer screening triple mutants for use in future experiments. While new to the lab, she quickly expanded her own research skills, learning how to perform polymerase chain reactions, create and analyze gels, and draw conclusions from experimental results.
鈥淒r. Alford mentored me a lot and helped me understand lab techniques that I would use in my experiment,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淪he showed me the best practices within the lab so that I may carry those habits into the future.鈥�
Jones entered the summer interested in a future in anesthesia, possibly as a physician assistant. Exposure to research opened new possibilities.
鈥淎s I鈥檝e started working in the lab, I鈥檝e been researching different careers working in medical laboratory science,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I would鈥檝e considered these pathways if not for this experience.鈥�
The students also built relationships that helped make the summer meaningful. Whether collaborating during weekly lab meetings or spending time together outside the lab, they experienced research as a shared learning process.
By summer鈥檚 end, the experience had given students more than data and laboratory techniques. It had strengthened their confidence as researchers and shown how collaboration can shape growth both inside and outside the lab.
