Catherine Galvez came to UW–Madison to participate in the Cellular and Molecular Biology of Stress Summer Research Program organized by WISCIENCE. During this 10-week program, Catherine was placed in the Wassarman Lab, where she worked on an independent research project in collaboration with her mentor, Becky Katzenberger, and PI, David Wassarman. 

This program also offered Catherine opportunities to learn about grad school and research careers, practice science communication skills, build community with other student researchers—and even have some fun exploring Madison.

Hailing from San Francisco, Catherine is majoring in cell and molecular biology/biochemistry at Colby College. Outside of her studies, she enjoys singing, dancing, and musical theater.

Briefly, what is the research project you are working on right now?
Determining the Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury on the Microbiome of D. melanogaster

What led you to apply for this program?
I have never participated in research before, and I wanted to immerse myself in the research field to determine if that is the path I want to go on.

What has the program been like for you so far?
I have loved being part of the program, getting to run my own independent experiments, and working with my mentors and PI to determine next steps and protocols for the project.

What is something interesting or surprising that you’ve learned or done in this program?
I have learned how to do many techniques that I did not know how to do before, and I was able to analyze and interpret a lot of data on my own, which is not what I was expecting when I initially started.

What has been the most valuable part of your lab experience this summer?
The most valuable part of the my lab experience was getting to talk with others who work in my lab, and getting their point of view of research life.

How do you think your experience here will impact your goals for the future?
I believe that it has greatly impacted my choice in wanting to go into research, and has made me more inclined to work towards a research position in the future as a career.

What advice would you give to future CMBS students?
Ask everyone you meet questions! It is a great way to network with others, and there are so many avenues and paths that you can take to be part of research. This program really helped open my eyes to so many paths and helped solidify my decision to continue to work in the sciences!