I say this every spring, but I cannot believe we are rapidly approaching graduation. That means that it is time to say goodbye to another set of amazing seniors. This year, the Pollock lab is seeing off three students and the first is Briseily Cejudo.
Briseily is a biology major who plans to become a medical doctor in the future. She joined the research lab during her first year working on the collaboration with Dr. Norris on the development of photoactivatable chemotherapies. She has led a major effort to streamline the characterization of photolysis of multiple compounds at once. Although Briseily worked in the lab for two summers (2022 and 2024), she secured an off-campus fellowship at Georgetown in summer 2023. This feat illustrates her motivation for scientific discovery as well her competitiveness with her peers out in the world. I can’t wait to see what she does in the future. As always, I ask the seniors to reflect on their time in the lab, so let’s hear from Brisa.
Q: Why did you decide to join the Pollock lab?
Briseily: I decided to join the Pollock lab because I was interested in cancer research, and I liked the idea of collaborating with other labs to work together towards an overall goal.
Q: What was your favorite part about your research experience?
Briseily: My favorite part about my research experience was having the opportunity to go to SERMACS in Atlanta, Georgia and presenting my research.
Q: What do you plan to do after graduation?
Briseily: After graduation, I am taking a gap year before medical school and doing my master’s at BU.
Q: As you reflect back on your time at University of Richmond, what advice would you give to an incoming student who was interested in your career path?
Briseily: Get involved as soon as you can. It might seem scary, but you truly meet people who will impact your life in a positive way that you would have never expected.
Briseily – Thank you for joining the research lab when you were a first year student. Also thank you for coming to my office during the times that you were frustrated with classes, or to talk about biochemistry questions, or to tell me about your travels. I’ve enjoyed our tough conversations given the political environment and I see your strength everyday. Keep it up. You have brightened the lab and my life for the past few years and I know you will do that into the future. I wish you all the best at BU and stay in touch!
~jap
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