Johanna Carroll '03 and Matthew Child '04 are working with Assistant Professor of Biology Steven Festin on science research this summer. Carroll, a biology major and Festin's advisee, is looking at the effects of estrogen and other proteins on gene expression in cancer cells. Child, a biochemistry major, is investigating how alpha-feta protein reduces tumors in breast cancer. The two students are participants in Hamilton's Summer Science Research program, which enables students to gain first hand research experience an area of their interest. There are 90 students participating in the program this summer.
Carroll has worked with Festin since fall '01 when she assisted him in his lab doing research once a week. She has recently returned from a term abroad and was excited to jump back into research. Carroll feels being in the lab for an extended amount of time after her semester abroad has given her a great advantage and allowed her to get back in the research mindset before beginning her senior project in the upcoming academic year.
Child chose to attend Hamilton because of the many opportunities to do what he calls, "new science." He said most other colleges he explored focused more upon reproving work completed 25 years ago than contributing to modern scientific exploration. After investigating the projects set for this summer, he became interested in Festin's work because of the opportunity to work with live cells. Child sees the Hamilton program as a good way to get individual research experience and work independently, while having a lot of knowledgeable and experienced professors available if you need them.
