I am currently a junior at Cal State Fullerton (CSUF) studying molecular biology and biotechnology. Although I graduate in the Spring of 2019, I will be applying to doctorate programs during the next fall semester. This is an extensive process that requires me to prepare and study in order to score well on the GRE (Graduate Records Exam), write a multitude of personal statements for various universities I will be applying to, and paying for the GRE and application fees.
Due to help from Pathways and other scholarships I have received, I have been able to save enough money to pay for all of these myself.
I have worked hard to be in a position where my work is a part of my academics. I belong to a program at CSUF known as MARC (Maximizing Access to Research Careers ) which is part of a large national program of MARC scholars who perform research and write a thesis in the field of biomedical sciences. I have learned so much from doing research, including what I will be pursuing in the future.
I plan to start a PhD program in computational biology and/or genetics in the Fall of 2019, where I hope to continue my research in bioinformatics and human genetics. This type of program is usually 5-6 years long, and afterwards I plan to do a 5 year post-doctorate training program. I am unsure whether to stay in academics and become a professor at a university, or to become a research scientist at a biomedical company. My scientific training has mostly consisted of computational biology, but my interests lie in answering biological questions. I am interested in making associations between genetic regulation or expression and human diseases, to assist in developing novel genetic therapeutics for more effective treatments.
The photo I included is of myself with my research poster I presented at a national conference, called SACNAS, last October.
Christina
