Alana Chang

Why FSU for Graduate School?

I graduated from FSU with a bachelor's degree in Biological Science in spring 2020. During my time as an undergraduate, I conducted independent research under direction of my PI at the time, Dr. Jonathan Dennis. He, alongside a number of other faculty, helped shape my appreciation for research and pushed me to complete an Honors in the Major thesis. This experience solidified my decision to pursue a higher degree. I knew that obtaining my Ph.D. would be challenging and wanted to remain in my college hometown where I felt and still feel the most comfortable. I also wanted to continue my education doing more translational research than what I experienced in undergrad--and the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the FSU College of Medicine provided this opportunity to me.

Importance and/or impact of research and work

Microsporidia are a group of obligate, intracellular parasites (fungi) that can infect nearly all animals in the animal kingdom, including humans. They reproduce via spores that can persist in the environment for up to years at a time. When immunocompromised or immunosuppressed individuals become infected (via inhalation or ingestion of the spores), their immune systems are unable to fight off the infection and they succumb to the disease known as microsporidiosis. My research aims to identify drug targets and screen for microsporidia-selective compounds that may potentially prevent or clear infection.

Career aspirations

I'd love to give back to the next generation of scientists by becoming a Principal Investigator (PI) and running my own lab. I've been trained by such incredible PIs so far that I feel that I could become a great teacher like them. I really enjoy training high school students or rotating graduate students in my lab and being able to watch them get excited about the science that I work on!

Advice for anyone considering graduate school

I think it's incredibly important to always take the role of an information sponge! From undergraduate to graduate research, there has never been a moment that I regretted listening and learning from my peers and mentors about lab techniques or life advice. In addition to this, always thinking two or three steps ahead of an experimental outcome is so important, i.e. what is the context of the data I'm observing? What does this mean for my project? Finally, there's a quote by Aristotle where he says, "The more you know, the more you realize you don't know." I feel like my time in the lab has really been influenced by this statement. The closer I feel that I am understanding how a system works, the more I recognize what is yet to be uncovered by myself or another researcher in the future. I love that my work will ultimately contribute to the legacy of the field I work in.

Accomplishments during graduate career

I received the People's Choice Award for the Biomedical Science 3 Minute Thesis competition in Fall 2023. I have also served as the Biomedical Sciences Liaison for the Medical Student Council. I also currently serve as the president for the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Student Association. I also co-founded the Biotech Interest Group (B.I.G.) Journal Club.