Written by Nikhil Tewari
Hello!
My name is Nikhil Tewari.
In May 2019, I will graduate with a degree in molecular biology from Colgate University. Outside of academics, I have been a member of Colgate’s varsity track and cross country teams for the past three years.
As a cross country and track athlete with an extensive record of bone and tendon-related injuries, I am fascinated by orthopedic research and am excited to pursue that interest in Dr. Kacena’s lab. My most recent research experience has been working as a research intern at the National Institutes of Health for the first semester of my senior year, where I explored how the TGF-beta signaling pathway affects the differentiation of brown and white adipose tissue.
I will join Dr. Kacena’s lab for the next year to conduct orthopedic research while I take a gap year before (hopefully) going to medical school.
I look forward to utilizing my previous research experiences with cell culture, RT-qPCR and gene sequencing to provide meaningful contributions.
This will also be my first time conducting medical research, so I’m excited to branch my experiences in research with my interest in medicine. Furthermore, I believe that many of the skills that are required to produce high quality research such as patience, organization, and good communication are also expected from physicians, so I hope to continue to build on these qualities in myself over the next year.