Mentorship. February 19, 2026
I first connected with Dr. Taylor Valentino during a class trip to the Buck Institute. Soon after, we had a successful Zoom call discussing the effects of the gut microbiome on muscle atrophy, which led to our confirmed collaboration.
Summer Research: September 8, 2026
I spent my summer conducting research at the Buck Institute, investigating how gene knockouts affect actin cytoskeleton formation and function under microgravity-like conditions. My days were filled with pipetting, working with gene-knockout cells, assisting with confocal microscopy, and, of course, having a ton of fun at the Buck Bash.