Twenty-four undergraduate students are spending the summer conducting research.
They are called INBRE scholars and are part of the largest grant in UNMC history.
Today we meet Jaquelin Garcia of Lincoln, who studies biochemistry at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
What should we know about you?
I am going to be junior this coming fall. I’ve been working in faculty labs since my junior year of high school. I currently work in Dr. Wayne Riekhof’s lab, and my work primarily focuses on understanding lipid metabolism in relation to chemotherapy drug resistance.
What or who influenced your interest in science?
From a young age, I knew that I wanted to be a scientist, and as I progressed through my educational career, I found that science classes were the only ones that challenged me to think critically. Since I love challenges and science is all about taking on new challenges and pushing boundaries, I decided to pursue a degree in biochemistry.
What is it about science that excites you?
I love the fact that science is not static and figuring out the answer to one question only leads to many more.
Will you pursue a career in science? If so, what do you hope to accomplish?
I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology. Eventually, I want to work for the World Health Organization or the Scripps Research Institute.
Why is it important to have programs like INBRE?
The INBRE program provides the unique opportunity of conducting undergraduate research with a biomedical focus. I think being able to experience scientific research first hand really helped me figure out what my scientific interests are.