  Double Oak, Texas  I liked the molecular biology/biochemistry emphasis of the program, and I wanted to work on a project relevant to human health. The beauty of the bay area, the buzz in the air in Berkeley, the great resources available here, and having friends who loved it here that were the best of the best as undergrads at UT Austin didn’t hurt either!  MBN PhD candidate. Christopher Vulpe Lab. Recipient of the Berkeley Fellowship for Graduate Study and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship  traveling (near or far), hiking, mushroom hunting, anything outdoors, dancing, crafty-things, gardening, live music, art, daydreaming |
 |
I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to complete some of my dissertation research in Australia. My PhD advisor Chris Vulpe has a longstanding collaboration with Professor Greg Anderson, the Head of the Iron Metabolism Laboratory at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Brisbane, Australia. For my dissertation project, I am studying the role of hephaestin, a gene discovered by Dr. Vulpe and Dr. Anderson, in iron absorption. I developed several mouse models in Berkeley and then sent them (and me!) over to Australia, where I learned how to perform specialized techniques for studying iron metabolism.
My time in Australia has been very productive and lots of fun. The lab environment has been great and I have been really impressed with the resources and talent around here. I have been able to present my findings as posters and talks at several conferences in Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra, and Cairns. Through these meetings we have developed additional collaborations with Australian researchers. The entire project has been challenging and enjoyable, and has greatly enhanced my dissertation research
