Rebecca
Zasloff
Hometown: Davie, FL
Major: Biology and Sociology, with a minor in Neuroscience
Research Interest: Gut microbiome influences on health and disease
“My CSS peer mentor has helped me navigate my college experience in order to reach my goals, as well as been a source of guidance for me through tough times during my academic and personal experiences.
WHAT DREW YOU TO THE CSS PROGRAM?
As an out-of-state student, I was definitely drawn to the collaborative community aspect that CSS provides; I knew that CSS would not only support me financially, but also support in my academic, professional, and personal life as well.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE CSS EXPERIENCE SO FAR?
My favorite CSS experience so far has been the peer mentoring aspect of the program. My peer mentor has helped me navigate my college experience in order to reach my goals, as well as been a source of guidance for me through tough times during my academic and personal experiences.
HOW HAS CSS SHAPED YOUR CAREER GOALS?
The CSS program has connected me with several unique opportunities to further my interest in STEM research, one of which was a virtual internship through Johns Hopkins School of Medicine this past summer. Through this experience, I was able to connect with biomedical researchers and learn new programming skills, which I was able to apply towards computational cancer biology research and personalized medicine.
WHAT IS YOUR PRIMARY RESEARCH INTEREST?
I am interested in investigating the influences of the gut microbiome on host intestinal permeability as it pertains to health & disease. I am currently a research assistant in the Azcarate Lab at the Microbiome Core Facility in UNC’s School of Medicine. I am currently working on a project that focuses on conducting statistical data analysis for intestinal permeability in order to measure physiological changes in the gut in response to the introduction of prebiotic diet. In addition, I apply RT-qPCR analysis of mouse intestinal tissue in order to correlate changes in gene expression and gut permeability.
AWARDS AND HONORS
- CSS Distinguished Scholar Award