MAPLETON, Maine — Katelyn P. Amero of Mapleton recently completed a research experience for undergraduates at Yale University located in New Haven, Connecticut.
These fellowships are funded by the National Science Foundation and enable undergraduates interested in pursuing careers in science to conduct interdisciplinary summer research for a 10-week period.
This specific program was through Yale’s Program in Physical and Engineering Biology. It focuses on research at the intersection of biology, physics, and engineering and serves as a glimpse of what graduate school at a large research institution is like.
Amero had the privilege of residing on campus and doing research in the Turner Lab, led by Dr. Paul E. Turner, with mentorship from Dr. Kaitlyn E. Kortright. Her project studied the antibiotic resistance and virulence of a common bacteria using bacteriophages, or phages. Phages are small viruses that only infect and kill specific bacterial cells.
She attended a series of career-building and professional development workshops to complement the research experience participants obtain at individual laboratories. The workshops helped students develop research and communication skills, explore scientific ethics, and learn about graduate school and career opportunities with a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. Participants created and presented brief research talks and posters featuring their projects to the Yale community.
Amero was selected because of her progress earning a double major in biochemistry and microbiology at the University of Maine (Orono) Honors College, along with her interest and experience with researching bacteriophages. Phage experimentation is crucial for fighting antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections and providing personalized medicine to more patients in the future.
Amero has always been interested in science, technology, engineering and math. She graduated from Presque Isle High School in 2020 as salutatorian, earned the Math and French Department awards that year, and was dual enrolled at the University of Maine at Presque Isle.
The COVID-19 pandemic during her senior year aided her career path decision, as she would love to help develop future vaccines. Amero will graduate from UMaine in 2024 and plans to attend graduate school to earn her doctorate of philosophy in research.
Her parents are Scott and Laurie Amero of Mapleton.
