Ava, a senior from Lincoln, is pursuing a double major in biology and chemistry at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her love of biology and desire to specialize in the life sciences and conduct research were already established when she entered college. That interest would soon expand to include chemistry after she completed a few of the class requirements for her degree.
“I always knew I wanted to major in biology and eventually conduct research. After taking a few of the required chemistry courses for my degree, I knew I also wanted to pursue chemistry as a major,” Ava said.
One of her favorite courses she has taken so far is BIOS 326: Biology of Viruses. Her fascination in this class turned out to be instrumental in securing her upcoming research opportunity. “The coursework was so interesting that I reached out to the professor, Dr. Peter Angeletti, to see if I could complete my experiential learning and senior thesis in his lab. He agreed, which led me to take the opportunity,” Ava said. “One of the focuses in Dr. Angeletti’s lab is ocular cancer, which led me to conduct my research project on an area of his work that requires additional research.”
Professor Angeletti specializes in the replication and pathogenesis of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) and other DNA tumor viruses. Ava’s research will be part of a study he is conducting examining the cause of ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN).
“My research project intends to investigate whether there are correlations between ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) tumor cells and Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), to see if EBV is linked to certain cellular abnormalities,” Ava said. “The research consists of taking images of cells and measuring the nucleus and cytoplasm in abnormal cells, followed by quantitative analysis of these features in relation to viral infection.”
She is excited to begin her experiential learning research this fall, which will give her a chance to become more familiar with lab equipment, key safety procedures, and vital research techniques. Her work will concentrate on microscopy and DNA isolation in ocular cancer research.
“This research project will allow me to gain a deeper understanding of ocular cancer and EBV,” Ava said. “I am glad to be able to gain new skills by using a cell scanner to take images and measure cells.”
She has already begun working on foundational lab skills. As her faculty sponsor, Professor Angeletti has offered her many learning opportunities and provided her with vital career guidance.
“He has given me excellent advice about the next steps I can take in my academic career, as well as the workforce,” Ava said.
She recognizes that this experiential learning will help prepare her for her future goals. After graduating next spring, Ava plans to pursue her master’s and doctorate degrees at UNL.
“Whether I decide to continue with this type of research or go a different route, this experience will have given me lab experience, new skills, and will be beneficial for my future,” Ava said.
