Eric do

Background

About Eric do

Growing up, I was always interested in pursuing a career in the health field because learning about the human body fascinated me, and it intrigued me how I could integrate that learning to improve the lives of others. Then when I was in high school, I became more interested in research and lab work after taking biotechnology courses. It showed me that I also wanted to learn more about how drugs are synthesized and react with the human body to treat diseases. Thus, in the future, I hope to be accepted into a dual Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree and Ph.D. program, with an interest in pharmacology. I plan on pursuing a career as an industry pharmacist and pharmacologist, as I am interested in researching, developing, and marketing new drugs. As a healthcare professional, I want to continue to integrate research into my career, as my undergraduate experiences have shown me how important scientific discovery is to the medical field and how passionate I am about it.My interest in research was largely catalyzed by a fellowship I have recently done at the Center for Bioenergy and Photosynthesis at ASU, which focuses on researching heliobacteria and creating an artificial photosynthesis system in hopes of producing an alternative biofuel. Apart from gaining knowledge in lab techniques such as DNA plasmid isolation, and heat-shocked protein expression, I have also gained soft skills that could be applicable in any lab such as experiment planning, data analysis, figure generation, adaptability, and critical thinking. This experience has largely reaffirmed my interest to become a researcher. Currently, I have just become an undergraduate researcher at the Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, which seeks to advance our fundamental understanding of cancer and its clinical management through the development and application of evolutionary and ecological models to cancer biology. At my new lab, I am part of a team that focuses on outreach and bridging the gap between scientific findings and the general public. I am also on a team that focuses on applying adaptive therapy to maintain colorectal cancer tumor volume in mice through the use of microbes.Additionally, I am heavily involved outside of my academics. I am part of the ASU Tillman Scholars Program, which focuses on developing leadership skills through community action. I am also an executive officer at Pitchfork Pantry, which aims to fight that seeks to fight hunger and food insecurity at ASU by providing weekly food distributions. Overall, I want to improve the lives of others.