Walker's Lab

Yuri Pride says that he couldn't have done what he's done at UNH at any other school. "It's amazing to me that as an undergrad, I can do the work that graduate students typically do," he says. "I'm first author on a paper that Chuck and I are about to publish with another undergrad and professor, and it's great to have the opportunity to research something like leukemiaŃsomething that really makes a difference in people's lives. We find things that nobody's ever found before, and think things that nobody has thought beofer. It's exciting to be a part of that."

"Chuck" is Professor of Zoology Chuck Walker, who works with both graduate and undergraduate students on a number of research projects each year, many of which are funded by the National Cancer Institute. Walker is currently working with students to research leukemia in clams, which provide good models for how the illness effects humans.

Walker is a believer in the role of research in education, and he provides a lot of opportunities for undergraduate participation. "The work they are doing in the lab relates directly to what I am teaching," he says, "and joint projects with graduate students and undergrads give grad students the opportunity to brush up on their teaching skills, and let undergraduates learn things they wouldn't otherwise learn."

Research projects also have tangible, long-term results for students. Elizabeth Carideo is a senior this year and recently accepted a job as a research technician studying leukemia and lymphoma at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. "I became interested in cancer while working in this lab, and when I went for my interview, the people at Dana Farber were very impressed with the project," she says. "Working in the lab with graduate students and with Chuck has been a great experience."

Return to: