Sam Wakelin is a senior majoring in neurobiology and minoring in history while on the pre-med track.
Experience in Research:
Sam first became involved in research in high school. He was interested in cancer research as he wanted to contribute to a cure. During his life, many people he knew suffered from cancer and this inspired him to contribute to the cancer research field. Through his high school, Brooks School, he participated in a summer program called Students on the Forefront of Science, which is a program that aims to give students hands-on experience in the STEM field. He had the unique opportunity to work in a lab at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he studied Glioblastoma, a form of cancer that affects the brain or spinal cord. Through this experience, Sam realized that he was fascinated by the brain and enjoyed working in the lab. Thus, at Georgetown University, he decided to pursue research in the neurobiology field.
During his sophomore year at Georgetown University, Sam joined Dr. Huang’s lab, which studies multiple sclerosis (MS) and remyelination. Sam is currently working on a project for his Research Intensive Senior Experience where he studies the Slc7a5 transporter and its involvement in neuroinflammation and impairment of remyelination in MS lesions. It is hypothesized that the Slc7a5 transporter upregulates the inflammatory response in MS lesions and prevents remyelination of axons. His lab has been experimenting with several approaches to reduce the expression of this receptor in microglia.
Reflection:
Sam feels thankful to have had the opportunity amongst many brilliant and caring researchers during his time in Dr. Huang’s lab. He notes that Dr. Huang is incredibly welcoming and really cares about his graduate students, lab staff members, and undergraduate researchers. Additionally, his lab mentor, Dr. Maryna Bayduk, has taught him invaluable skills that have improved his science knowledge both in and out of the lab. He understands lab techniques necessary for his lab work and has developed an in-depth understanding of the fundamental neurobiology underlying their research. Wakelin feels very lucky to have the opportunity to collaborate with her on the Slc7a5 project. Overall, Sam describes his experience in the lab as the best decision he has made at Georgetown. He has really enjoyed learning about and contributing to the neurodegenerative disease field and hopes he can continue to do so in the future.
Written by Danya Adams