Dorothy Sherer
Identifying Bacterial Infection in Alaskan Small Mammals
°®ÎÛ´«Ã½ Junior
B.S. Wildlife Biology and Conservation
Dorothy is a 2024 Fall Student Project Award Recipient.
Under the mentorship of Dr. Cristina Hansen, Assistant Professor of Veterinary Medicine, Dorothy's research aims to locate and identify bacterial DNA in small mammals that could be common carriers for zoonotic diseases, infections that are capable of spreading from animals to humans. Comparing data from three sampling locations (a kennel, a farm, and a control site), she hopes to determine whether small mammals are more or less likely to harbor bacterial zoonotic disease agents depending on where they are located. Results from this study could help to provide insight as to where different kinds of diseases are introduced.
How is your project going so far this semester?
My project is going quite well! The first part of the project, DNA extractions, took a bit longer than I was expecting. My mentor and I decided on doing 96 DNA samples - half being liver samples and half being spleen samples - from 48 voles. On top of the DNA extraction from the tissue, I helped graduate student Tabitha Page remove organs from the many voles that she collected in the summer. I also had the opportunity to go through some organs that were already frozen to extract tissue pieces for my own project. Now, I am going through the steps of PCR with my mentor and I will hopefully be able to make it through the rest of the samples efficiently once I know how to successfully conduct PCR.
How did you find out about URSA and what encouraged you to submit an application for funding?
I have known about URSA since freshman year, though I haven’t always been aware of all of the opportunities they offer. Until finding this project, I felt like I could not get past this barrier that I had created in my mind to being part of an URSA project - I hadn’t really connected with a professor who shared interests with me, I didn’t have a project idea already constructed, and I, overall, just did not feel like I was qualified to apply and receive funding for a project. Though I had been to the research mixers two years in a row, it was still difficult to move forward with any of the researchers who presented. Entering my second to last year of school and feeling pressured with time, I finally met a professor who seemed excited to take a student on, had a project I could join, and was overall very receptive to communication with an undergraduate student. Also, when I met with Erin to discuss my URSA summer internship, we talked about the possibility of a fall project, and she really urged me to just reach out to my now mentor!
How does your URSA project relate to your career or personal goals?
I have never done research before and I really wanted to experience it during my undergraduate career to figure out my feelings surrounding it and whether it might relate to my future goals. I have always been quite interested in medicine and health in the wildlife field. Now that I am taking a wildlife diseases course, I am realizing how interested I am in the topic. This project is provides me a direct experience with wildlife disease surveillance and also gives me the opportunity to make connections with other professionals in this field. I am hoping to continue to work with my mentor next year. I am also planning on using this experience as a stepping stone to forming a project of my own, possibly one that I could build a graduate degree on.
If you could share one piece of advice with students interested in pursuing URSA in the future, what would you say?
Take the leap! It can feel like there is such a big gap between yourself and/or your skills and joining a project, but that gap can be bridged with some communication. Reach out to a professor who teaches a class you like, is doing research you find interesting, or is simply someone you enjoy, and they will most likely be excited to work with you or connect you with another potential mentor. Whether you have a project idea of your own or you’re just excited to get some experience related to research, reaching out to someone is the first step! After that, almost everything you do can be taught by your mentor or learned through experience. You are as qualified as you need to be for an undergraduate project. All of the resources you need are out there just waiting for you to grab them!