Kaitlyn Hung
Which grant that you received do you want to talk about?
Summer URG
Please provide a brief summary of your research.
My project investigated why certain tissues are more susceptible to protein-misfolding diseases like Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s Disease. I identified genes that alter the ability to maintain protein homeostasis differently in different tissues. I use C. elegans, a microscopic nematode with a short lifespan and transparent body that allows me to visually watch individual proteins with colorful tags. My project’s findings illustrate that while maintaining protein homeostasis is essential to every tissue, individual components can differ from tissue to tissue, contributing to different susceptibilities to protein-misfolding diseases.
What made you initially interested in researching your project in particular?
I’m interested in the biological processes underlaying aging and age-related diseases. My project gets to the heart of this by looking at proteins, the basic molecular machines that carry out the processes we need to survive. Many labs focus on studying an individual tissue, and this project allowed me to more broadly understand how tissues vary. I also wanted to learn to work with a new model organism and C. elegans are frequently used to study aging biology.
What made you interested in pursuing (interdisciplinary) research more broadly?
Coming to Northwestern, I was interested in science but didn’t want to practice medicine. I wasn’t sure what other paths I could pursue until the professors in some of my earliest science classes talked about their research. I was excited to learn that I could apply the basic principles I was learning in class to discover something new to improve the world. When I started doing research, I was shocked that you could physically perform experiments and investigate interesting questions about biological concepts as a career!
Describe your experiences with research thus far. Was it tricky? What skills do you think you’ve gained?
Through my research project, I’ve gained technical skills in learning new genetic techniques and working with a different model organism. I’ve also learned to efficiently plan, carry out, troubleshoot, and communicate a research project, with the support of mentors. I grew through navigating challenges, like having to pivot my project midway through the summer due to unexpected changes in mentorship.
Any tips or advice you have for students similar to you that are interested in pursuing undergraduate research?
Jump in! You never know until you try it, and even if research isn’t your thing long-term, there are valuable skills to be gained. You are never stuck–you can always change research projects and labs if you discover interests in a different field, or if the environment isn’t a good fit. The hardest step is the first one!
What is something that you could give a 10 min presentation on right off the cuff?
“The Big 5” (Pacific Northwest Trees)
What was your favorite childhood story (written, spoken, or film)?
My Neighbor Totoro