A Hopeful Research
Who is Megan Wilson?
I am a bio-chemistry major at PC, while minoring in public health policy. Originally, I'm from Frederick, Maryland, and I found Presbyterian through the recruitment process which is a decision I can look back on and say I've had no regrets as my senior year on the field comes to a close. I'm so incredibly thankful for PC and the influence the school has had on me over the last four years, not only for being able to continue my soccer career at the collegiate level, but also to expand my academic expertise as I look forward to the next phase in my life. As one of the captains for the Blue Hose at the center back position this year, I've enjoyed my time at Presbyterian to the fullest and will always have fond memories of the people that I've engaged with both on and off the field.
Cancer Research
Under the advisement of Dr. Austin Shull, Associate Professor of Biology at PC, I came across an amazing opportunity during my undergraduate studies in the form of breast cancer research. Dr. Shull's primary focus pertains to molecular biology, an area of curriculum that has translated to heightened examination of breast cancer. Over the course of my junior year in the spring semester, I began to learn the ropes of his lab while gaining strides in the technique that is associated with the craft. Following that course, having completely fallen in love with the research side of biology and all aspects of science alongside Dr. Shull, I spent my junior and senior summers here at PC under the SC-INBRE Program. He has allowed me to contribute to his extensive study of a specific gene, the IL32, which stands for Interleukin32 (a pro-inflammatory cytokine). This particular gene has been observed to be categorized as hypomethylated (or displaying low levels of methylation) in the promoter regions and over-expressed in basal subtypes of breast cancers. Causing cancer diagnoses to possess more metastatic and aggressive behavior, this gene has become a pivotal topic among disease research and the centerpiece of our work in this subject. Analyzing the breast cancer stem cell and rich cell lines to suppress the gene, which will therefore allow us to look deeper into the phenotype of the cancerous cells that it seems to affect, we can theoretically decrease the level of aggressiveness in breast cancer identifications. The amount of detail and proficiency I was fortunate enough to learn in this specific side of molecular biology is truly invaluable. I have gained knowledge from this research that I would never trade for anything, hopefully carrying into my professional life to a great degree moving forward. The tools I have obtained under this regime will undoubtedly prove to be prosperous in future cancer-related projects.
Open Future
I originally had been planning on attending medical school once I completed my Bachelor's degree requirements, which I had always seen as the finish line since the day I arrived at Presbyterian, although I decided not to apply this August as I could have. Instead, my brain has become fixated on a multitude of inventive discussions in the science world that has greatly piqued my interest. I am still vastly gravitated to the field of medicine. Having said that, I have quickly developed a growing curiosity for the research aspect of this deeply perceptive subject that has slightly altered my approach. Dr. Shull has helped me open a window to discovering what else is out there in terms of the science industry, academia, and other things that you can do on the research side of medicine, molecular biology, cancer studies, etc. Right now, I am in the "in between" phase. I now have my eyes on taking at least one or two gap years to potentially pursue a Master's in inquisitive material such as Biology Engineering. I also have an interest in simply working in a lab and following that up with a PhD pursuit, although I greatly enjoyed the cancer research topic that has fallen under the umbrella of molecular biology. Understanding that link thanks to my classroom endeavors, I've come to the realization that there are so many different avenues that I could follow, which naturally brings me great excitement as I prepare for the next part of my journey, wherever that may lie.
