History

In January 2006...

The Aptamer Stream was one of original three pilot streams of the Freshman Research Initiative (FRI). The pilot program was funded with institutional funds from the College of Natural Sciences.

Led by graduate student and technician Bradley Hall, the Aptamer Stream started with just 15 students. The lab received federal funding from both an HHMI and NSF grant to expand the program, so in 2007 the stream hired a number of student mentors who had previously participated in the FRI pilot program.

In 2008, FRI expanded to 14 research streams, adding a Physics stream. Our stream, Aptamers, increased in size going from 15 students to 35 students and two graduate research assistants. Notably, Dr. Brad Hall transitioned officially into the Research Educator (RE) position that year.

Since 2009, FRI has had over 20 streams and over 500 registered students, this is about one quarter of the freshman CNS class!

The Freshman Research Initiative is now the largest undergraduate research program at a single institution, and we're so proud to be part of that history! Our stream has encountered dozens of new aspiring researchers, one of which found an Aptamer during his time in our lab. We've had students present their research both within UT, and outside of UT. This lab not only participates in ground-breaking aptamer research, but it also cultivates a community and a sense of belonging that is unmatched.