PhD student Amy Lu is fascinated by the art of discovery – understanding the need and the problem, and probing beyond the obvious answers to find creative solutions.
In high school in Taiwan, she landed a coveted internship in a toxicology lab and investigated the links between ketamine use and bladder inflammation. As an undergrad in St. Louis, she studied how pathogens have adapted to outsmart the host immune system. Lu knew this was important work, but she wanted to explore the therapeutic potential of her results.
“To translate research results and apply them to helping people, I needed to better understand the global burden of infectious diseases,” she says. In the pathobiology program, she is learning to visualize the “big picture” of her research, while enhancing her skills in and out of the lab.
Also a recipient of the Kenny Endowed Fellowship, Lu says, “I am able to pursue my research passions knowing that there are individuals in the scientific world who recognize my potential to make a difference.”
Find out more about the PhD program in pathobiology.