My name is Joe, and I graduated from UMass in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. During my Junior year I was the first recipient of RichCo Labs Student Research Award Scholarship. As a RichCo fellow I worked with several professors in their laboratories studying the effects of PFAs (Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) on zebrafish.

In Dr.Timme-Laragy’s lab, we focused on the physical effects of PFAs on different organs. With Dr. Karlstrom, I researched the neural development of zebrafish exposed to PFAs. In Dr. Downes lab I spent my time studying the behavioral effects PFAs had on zebrafish. My time as a RichCo Labs research fellow was a driving factor in my choice to go into the toxicology field after I graduated. I’m currently a Scientist for Discovery Life Sciences in Boston, MA doing ADMET preclinical trial work for drug candidates.

In my day to day, I conduct assay using primary human hepatocyte cell cultures to evaluate toxicology and potential drug to drug interactions.

I have been also exposed to the exciting world of robotics as I am working on automating our current processes and developing new ones using liquid handler robots. The Student Research Award Scholarship granted me the opportunity to work alongside people leading the discussion and research on PFAs, and the experience I gained from this was unsurpassed. I was able to learn the ins and outs of creating customized assays and experiments, writing reports, presenting data, and working in a professional lab environment, skills I still use daily in my current role as a scientist for DLS.

The classes I took at UMass taught me the basics of biology, but RichCo Labs and the Student Research Award Scholarship allowed me to put the things I learned to the test in a real-world environment and bring my understanding to the next level. I’m very thankful to Steve Richter and Tommy Goodrow for this opportunity and the doors that it has opened as I stepped out of college and into the real world.