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Career

Research Labs Led by Women at SJSU

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SJSU chapter.

At San Jose State University, graduate and undergraduate students have the opportunity to participate in faculty-led research in all different areas of science. These labs provide amazing opportunities for students to gain experience in the research field. 

Within the College of Science at SJSU, eight different fields have research opportunities for students, these include Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geology, Mathematics and Statistics, Meteorology and Climate Science, Marine Science, and last but not least, Physics and Astrology. 

Being a part of research as an undergraduate student allows students to prepare for graduate school, aid in academic achievement, and provide professional growth and personal growth. 

Below is a compiled list of some women-led research currently happening at SJSU. 

  1. French Lab 

Dr. Rachael French leads the French Dropscilia Genetic Lab. Her ultimate goal in this lab is to develop a treatment for fetal alcohol syndrome. She is doing this by utilizing fruit flies and their genes to better understand how exposure to alcohol affects the development of a fetus and its genes. 

  1. Cargill’s Reproductive Physiology Lab 

Shelley Cargill’s lab focuses on studying how ovarian input affects overall aging. Using female mice, she is transplanting young ovaries into more aged mice to study how it affects the overall lifespan. 

  1. Miller Conrad Research Group 

Led by Laura Miller Conrad, the Miller Conrad Research Group is focused on fighting antibacterial resistance. Using Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacteria that is resistant to many currently used treatments, this lab is studying the resistance pathways to develop antibiotics that have inhibitors to these pathways. 

  1. Wang Research Group 

The Wang Research Group is led by Ningkun Wang. Enzymes are proteins that cause reactions to happen within cells in the human body. They are working to try to understand how the movement of enzyme SIRT1 can affect its level of activity. SIRT1 is an enzyme that plays a major role in neurodegenerative diseases and aging. Through this, they are hoping to be able to develop treatments for these diseases in the future. 

  1. SJSU Paleontology Lab 

Led by Charlie Pietsch, the SJSU Paleontology Lab is combining marine ecology and geologic observations to better understand the recovery time after an extreme climate event. She is studying the fossils of mollusks such as snails, mussels, and octopi, in particular, so that we may know what to expect in the future with modern climate change. She does this on a microscopic level by simulating these environmental changes on fossils and sediment. 

  1. The WALSH Lab 

The WALSH Lab, led by Elizabeth Walsh, is researching climate change and finding ways to support all communities equitably, and addressing the impact on everyday life. 

  1. Susan Lambrecht Laboratory

 The Susan Lambrecht Lab is working to understand how climate affects the form and function of plants, specifically plant reproduction. They also are researching invasive species and methods of eradication. They hope to learn more in order to understand the effects of climate change on plants. 

There is so much more research being conducted at SJSU led by men and women. Unfortunately, not all could be included, otherwise, this would have been a very long article. 

Click here to learn more about the labs and research departments at SJSU.

Let us know what field you find most interesting @HerCampusSJSU

I am a 4th year at San Jose State University pursuing a B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Microbiology. I enjoy being in nature, taking photos, and reading in my free time.