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 Meet Anna Guzikowski

Anna-Grad-div.pngTell us a bit about yourself: I grew up in Eugene, Oregon and moved to the east coast after receiving a scholarship to attend Boston University (BU) where I studied biochemistry, molecular biology, and English literature. I fell in love with science in Boston where I researched in Dr. Sean Elliott’s lab at BU and then worked for Dr. Jessica Whited at Brigham and Women’s Hospital after graduation.

What are you studying/researching? I moved to San Diego in 2015 to begin the Ph.D. program in Biology.  I joined the research lab of Dr. Brian Zid where I study the regulation of gene expression in yeast cells under stressful environmental conditions. I chose UC San Diego because I was drawn to the interdisciplinary, innovative research environment that exists both on campus and in the greater San Diego science community.

Tell us a bit about your involvement in the UC San Diego campus: I enjoy teaching and have been an instructional assistant in BIBC 103 (Biochemical Techniques laboratory) and BIMM 100 (Molecular Biology). At UC San Diego, I organize a monthly meeting of graduate students where they discuss topics in RNA biology. I also serve as a GSA representative for my department, and am a principal member of BioEASI, an organization run by graduate students in biology that promotes science education, communication, and outreach on campus and throughout San Diego.

Have you received any awards or fellowships? I am a trainee in UC San Diego’s Interfaces program in multi-scale biology and a recipient of a Roger Tsien Fellowship from the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department for a collaborative project between the Zid lab and the lab of Dr. Colleen McHugh.

Why UC San Diego? I have loved my time at UC San Diego so far, and especially appreciate the supportive and energetic atmosphere that exists between research labs like the one where I work. My lab studies topics in RNA biology and biochemistry across different departments. I have also come to value the variety of resources and opportunities UC San Diego provides to its student community. In particular, I enjoy staying active and participating in the aerial silks program offered by campus recreation. I try to take advantage of the year-round access San Diegans have to California’s beautiful outdoors by using my time outside of the lab to hike, backpack, bike, and rock climb.