My name is Gwen Freeze, and I am a fifth-year BSc student at TRU, majoring in Biology with Honours. My first research experiences at TRU were during the summers of 2020 and 2021 working as an undergraduate research assistant at the TRU Fraser Ecology Lab under the supervision of Dr. Lauchlan Fraser. For this work I was fortunate to be the recipient of two Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA). Following my work at this lab, I completed a directed studies course in human physiology with Dr. Mark Rakobowchuk during the spring of 2021. In my directed studies I analyzed carotid artery longitudinal wall movement as a novel clinical assessment tool, specifically in evaluating cardiovascular disease risk. I really enjoyed this research and have now transitioned to working on an inter-disciplinary honours project focused on both human physiology and microbiology. For this project I am working with both Dr. Mark Rakobowchuk and Dr. Eric Bottos and am specifically looking at the effect of a nitrate supplement on Porphyromonas gingivalis, a microbe found to migrate into the brain, and its ultimate impact on Alzheimer’s disease.
My biggest advice for students wanting to get involved in research is to give it a shot! I had no idea what I was interested in following third year but trying research out has led me to a field of science I am so passionate about. I like it so much that I will be going to the University of Guelph in the fall of 2022 to complete my MSc in Molecular and Cellular Biology.
