Vicken Khazar ’22 — the URECA Researcher of the Month for June 2021 — is a biology major doing research under the mentorship of Dr. Patrick Hearing, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, on “Understanding the Role of the SPRTN Metalloprotease in the Adenovirus DNA Damage Response.” He was one of two URECA summer program applicants to be awarded the Chhabra-URECA Fellowship, an award that provides funding for summer research and recognizes students with a passion for research.
“Research is a really nice step away from being in class; it brings a lot of diversity to your educational experience. …I always had a general but persistent curiosity about how the world works, and research is one of the best ways to fulfill that,” he said. “For anyone that has an interest in science, asking questions, and designing experiments to test ideas, I really recommend it. It has also been an incredibly fun, yet humbling experience.”
On campus, Khazar has served as a teaching assistant for General Chemistry I and II, Human Social and Sexual Evolution, Organic Chemistry I and Microbiology. He has also been active as president of Watsi Stony Brook, a nonprofit student organization dedicated to global healthcare issues, and is a Red Watch Band Care Team Member with the Center for Prevention and Outreach. Since 2018, Khazar has also been involved as an emergency transporter/informatics volunteer at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip, NY, and a medical assistant/scribe at LI Urgent Care. He is a graduate of Deer Park High School and is a first-generation college student.
Read the full interview with URECA Director Karen Kernan
This story was originally published by Stony Brook University