I am currently a sophomore attending Lincoln University as a biochemistry and molecular biology major.
I have always had a keen interest in science. For my high school career, I attended the Academy of Health Sciences At Prince Georges Community College. This was a pilot duel enrollment program in which we received our high school diploma and Associate of Art degree simultaneously. Since the program focused on health science, we took several science college courses such as Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Microbiology, and a First Aid and CPR class. These classes propelled me to know I want to study a field in biology.
So far in my undergraduate career, I have taken a research based class, done research with a professor, and have completed an internship that focused on research. In the research class, I was able to isolate a bacteriophage from a soil sample, extract its DNA, and sequence its genome. This class taught me several basic laboratory techniques. The second researcher experience I had focused on opsonizing the protocol for isolating viruses. A professor and I proposed ways to increase the likelihood of being able to isolate bacteriophages. During the summer of 2016, I had the opportunity to participate in the Clinical and Translation Science Award research program at the University of Pennsylvania.I researched the impact macrophages had on parasitic worms. While each research experience was different, they have inspired me to spend the rest of my life doing research.
Ultimately, I aspire to attend graduate school and obtain a PhD in biological defense. This recently developed aspiration was stimulated by the increase of recent global biological attacks. While there are some treatments for these attacks, they have several cons. I know with the help of research they can be made to be more efficient. Though these weapons have detrimental effects, I believe that these are more practical than nuclear weapons because the targets are specific and do not have as many physical harmful effects on the environment. Providing research on this field would leave a positive impact on the world and ultimately, save several lives.