Sarah Hackman
Year in school:
junior
Major degree program/department:
biology
Faculty mentor:
Cathy Kovarik, PhD, DVM, veterinary biomedical sciences
After working for a summer in a research lab in St. Louis following my freshman year, I knew I wanted to continue to be involved in research here at Mizzou. The Office of Undergraduate Research provided me with the names of faculty that were interested in mentoring undergraduates and I read about their current work to see if the subject matter sounded interesting. Mizzou has so many amazing faculty researchers that choosing a lab may seem like a daunting task but Dr. Kovarik’s research interests seemed so filled with possibility and excited me that I knew I had to contact her. She agreed to meet with me for an interview. She had also dissociated some green neurons to illustrate more about her work. I had never imagined that I would see an isolated neuron living happily in a dish. I was hooked.
I learned basic lab techniques and observed various procedures ranging from ovariectomies, to dissociations, and even recordings of electrical activity from a single cell. After a semester, Dr. Kovarik agreed to help me apply for Life Sciences Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (LS UROP) and I was accepted into both the summer and the year-long programs. My summer project examined the role of the kisspeptin system in gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion. Kisspeptin, a neuropeptide, binds to the receptor GPR54, to influence the initiation and regulation of puberty in mammals. The levels of GPR54 and GnRH mRNA were compared in hypothalamic tissue before, during, and after puberty in male mice using real-time, quantitative PCR.
I am very fortunate to be able to continue my project into the academic year. Now I am working to compare mRNA at the level of the single cell as well as the effect of steroids on the kisspeptin system. Research is thrilling because no one knows the end result. However, the best part of my research experience at Mizzou has been the interactions with my terrific faculty mentor. I am motivated by her dedication to science and look forward to going to work everyday.
