Tell the readers about yourself.

I am originally from Kingsport, TN. I majored in BCMB and received my B.S. degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Currently, I am a first year dental student at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.

Did you always want to be a dentist?

I looked into dentistry as a possible career beginning in high school. Although there were numerous reasons, my main motivation to pursue dentistry was to be a part of today’s enormous transition in healthcare. Right now, we are in a unique era when the world is socially, technologically, and scientifically changing at an extremely rapid rate. All of these factors are affecting the healthcare system in the U.S.

Practicing dentistry now will certainly be challenging, but having a chance to make a difference during this time will make all my hard work worth-while.

While at UTK, when did you start working in Dr. Nebenfuehr’s lab?

I began working in Dr. Nebenfuehr’s lab in the summer between my junior and senior year for the Summer Internship Program where students received a stipend to participate in a research project with a UTK faculty mentor. I wanted to work with Dr. Nebenfuehr because I really enjoyed his BCMB 240 course. I would later continue my research project that I started this summer during my senior year.

What did you work on? Did you enjoy this experience?

My research project focused on how myosin proteins affected root hair development in Arabidopsis thaliana. The purpose of this project was to understand more about the functions that myosin proteins play in plants. I used protomor-GUS staining to analyze the patterning of a transcription factor involved in cell-fate determination in seedling roots. My goal was to determine if there was a difference in staining patterning between wild-type and mutant (knockout) for a specific

isoform of myosin proteins. Overall, I had a great experience working in Dr. Nebenfuehr’s lab. I learned not only about techniques in cell biological research, but also developed skills in critical thinking, scientific writing, oral and poster presenting, and statistical analysis. Moreover, my research project was particularly interesting. The implications of intracellular cellular trafficking go beyond basic science in plant biology. For example, it has potential practical applications in optimizing yields in agriculture by using mysosin proteins as a means to improve nutrition and water absorptions in roots. I would highly recommend other students to work in Dr. Nebenfuehr’s lab.

Do you plan to continue doing research?

Yes, one of the main reasons why I chose the University of Michigan was for its research opportunities. In fact, the School recently changed their curriculum to give students the option to participate in a research-focused pathway. In the past, students normally just did research during their summer breaks in between their first and second years. However, with this new curriculum option, students can engage in research during all four years. I am definitely excited about doing research only subjects directly involved with the orofacial complex. Besides having the opportunity to learn from world-renowned dentists in the profession, engaging in research is an important attribute for future healthcare providers. In order to best treat patients, dentists and other healthcare providers much keep their knowledge and skills, which involves being able to recognize good research studies from bad ones.

Can you tell us about your trip to Nashville? What was it for?

During my spring semester of my senior year, I, along with five others, represented UTK at an event called “Posters at the Capitol.” Students from various universities in Tennessee presented their research posters to members of the Tennessee

Legislature. The purpose of this annual event was to not only showcase the hard work done by students in the state, but also to demonstrate the importance of research to the state policymakers. The event in Nashville was a great experience. I was able to meet several State Representatives and Senators and enjoy the posters made by other students.