I entered the Accelerated BS/PhD program in the spring of 2011. Jumping right into research I did four different rotations, working with everything from protein synthesis and purification, to aquatic ecology, to muscle mechanics. I have since settled into Dr. Douglas Swank’s lab, where I am working with Drosophila Melanogaster (fruit flies) to model pediatric restrictive cardiomyopathy. I breed genetically modified fruit flies and test them with a variety of methods in an attempt to quantify the phenotype that results from the altered genotype.

This program has been a fantastic opportunity to explore the research prospects at Rensselaer. Apart from my academic endeavors, I am also an active member in student government and intramural sports at RPI.