Alumni in Action
Shea Siwik '20
What are you currently studying and what do you find exciting about it?
I’m currently working with RNA aptamers which are these structured noncoding RNAs that bind small molecule ligands. Eventually, I hope to develop fluorescent RNA sensors that can be used to image metabolites in live mammalian cells. The approach of taking things from nature and repurposing them for synthetic tools or medicine has been achieved with great success for things like proteins, so I’m really enjoying doing this in the RNA field.
How did your GVSU Chemistry/Biochemistry degree help you prepare for your work in grad school?
Two skills in particular that have really helped me in my graduate program are being taught how to give a scientific presentation and how to write scientifically which I remember from the lab and seminar courses. It’s truly not enough to just know your science or do good science; you need to be able to communicate your science. I’m very grateful to have been explicitly taught these skills as an undergraduate.
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