Faith Prochaska, a rising senior and Honors College scholar studying biology and neuroscience at IUPUI, was one of 60 students from 42 states nationwide chosen to present their undergraduate research during the 2021 Posters on the Hill event on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Posters on the Hill is organized by the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) and allows undergraduate researchers and their mentors to ensure their research is heard on Capitol Hill.
Hundreds of students applied to participate in this prestigious event, and Prochaska was the only student from IUPUI accepted this year. A month later, she’s still surprised the opportunity was awarded to her.
“Hearing that number still feels unreal to me. To be chosen as one of 60 undergraduates from across the nation is something I never would have dreamed about when I first started research,” explains Prochaska. “My first few months in research were not easy and being able to overcome those hurdles and gain confidence as a scientist is amazing. Being selected to present at such a prestigious conference proved to me that all of the time and effort I dedicated to research was recognized, but also that this was something I was good at.”
As part of the Posters on the Hill event, Prochaska spent time talking to U.S. Senator Mike Braun about the importance of undergraduate research.
“I was definitely nervous going into the meeting, but hearing [Dr. Roper] speak about the different ways research is funded and how these grants directly impacted science being done on our campus showed me that an important part of science is also advocacy,” says Prochaska. “While it is important to be able to present the details of findings, it is also necessary to be able to talk to individuals that do not have a science background on why this work is so important.”
Prochaska works with Randall Roper, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, on Down syndrome research. Down syndrome is the leading genetic cause of intellectual disability, but there aren’t many treatment options available. One theory she’s researching is using a compound commonly used to treat cancer to target overexpressed proteins and bring them down to normal levels. She uses behavioral tests on mouse models to determine the beneficial effect of this compound.
“From meeting with him and talking with lab members and other students in the School of Science, I realized what an incredible mentor Dr. Roper is and how great of an opportunity his lab was,” says Prochaska. “I didn't know yet that research was something I wanted to do with my career, but through all of the opportunities I have had in Dr. Roper's lab, I realized just how passionate I was about research and how important it was to my future career.”
Prochaska, who has been doing research since her sophomore year, stresses the importance of working in a research lab as an undergraduate student.
“Research is the best way to connect what's happening in all of your classes. Labs for courses are great, but I don't think I understood how all of those different protocols and concepts connected until I became involved in research. Research gave me a way to not only make those connections, but demonstrate my knowledge and abilities from my classes. I was able to improve my bench skills, but more importantly, I became a better problem solver and critical thinker.”
Prochaska is making great strides with her research and is hoping to publish findings soon. As she explains, this is a key step in doing scientific research.
“A huge part of science is communication, it's the last step of the scientific method! Being able to take all of the data/information in and disseminate those results or diagnosis to many different knowledge levels is a skill I will be honing throughout my career,” explains Prochaska. “Posters on the Hill was an incredible opportunity to present my research, but it also showed all of the preparation and understanding that goes into a finished poster or talk.”
Prochaska graduates in spring 2022 and plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. degree.
“I want to practice medicine and have a research lab of my own. I currently see myself studying developmental disease and working in pediatrics, but I know both clinical and research interests may change as I move through training,” explains Prochaska.
And she hopes that as a principal investigator in a lab, she’ll have the opportunity to mentor students, just as Dr. Roper has done for her and so many others.
“I would like to provide opportunities for underrepresented individuals in medicine and research to gain valuable experience in research as well as shadowing during my clinical hours,” says Prochaska.