Center for Undergraduate Research

One could say that Sadie Waterman’s research journey began at birth. “I have always been interested in human congenital diseases because my life began with a surgery to correct one.” After gaining a strong STEM background during high school, she decided to major in biology and upon arriving at UMaine, she “immediately became involved in […]

Timber Mattson has always been fascinated by cellular processes and how a single mutation can negatively affect an entire organism. “I am interested in learning about the effects of toxins, stress, and diet on mitochondrial function, and how that altered mitochondrial function can affect human health.”  “Mitochondrial activity is a determining factor in the aging […]

Sairah Damboise has “always been interested in the fabrication of vaccinations and medicine.” That interest made it easy for her when it was time to choose a major. While looking for opportunities to work in a lab on campus, Damboise was offered the chance to work in Dr. Michael Mason’s lab. Damboise says Dr. Mason […]

In her freshman year at UMaine, Lauren Cusson took a Phage Genome Discovery course, and suddenly her path to research became clear. “I then joined a virology research lab on campus my sophomore year and have learned so much from it.” She loves “being able to actually apply what I have learned and think outside […]

Though she had always been good at science and interested in the natural world, it was a long while before Hanna Brooks thought of herself as a scientist. It wasn’t until a casual conversation during her sophomore year at Virginia Tech that led to her studying rock samples in Greece, that she first owned the […]

“Always research something that really grabs your interest. Don’t skip topics just because they’re obscure or maybe not as well-known. Your love for a topic will really fuel your eagerness to learn and discover.” Recent UMaine graduate Laura Curioli has been involved with research since her freshman year and has taken her own advice to […]

For Seth Ashby, his chosen field of research was most interesting to him due to its unique nature. “The idea that we can work backwards to see what isn’t needed, to figure out what is essential, is fascinating.” Ashby is working alongside Dr. Suzanne Angeli, assistant professor in the Molecular and Biomedical Department, to study […]

While looking for a job on campus during her freshman year, Ainslie Allen happened to listen to a presentation given by Dr. Caitlin Howell and the rest, as they say, is history. Allen has been working in Dr. Howell’s lab ever since and has “enjoyed every minute of it.” Allen says “working with Dr. Howell […]

For undergraduate Madeline Howorth, research is in her blood. The Center for Undergraduate Research AY2223 fellowship award winner remembers watching her mother study, do homework and perform research. “Growing up in Pennsylvania as my mom pursued her PhD studies full-time, I was constantly surrounded by eager education faculty, used textbooks, and an endless supply of […]