Parlee Center for Science and the Common Good

Kyong Min Son posing while traveling abroad
Kyong “Min” Son posing while traveling abroad

Kyong “Min” Son

As an incoming freshman, I had a wonderful opportunity to work with Dr. Ellen Dawley and Jon Livezey on axon regeneration of spinal nerves in N. viridescens. We looked at the sections of newts’ tails to investigate how axons regenerate and facilitate in the complete tail regeneration. Through the FUTURE program, I was able to make connections with other professors and mentors, and create friendships with other FUTURE students. In addition, our field trips to GSK and Temple School of Medicine opened up multiple options for my future career. Currently, I plan to pursue my college education on a pre-med track. 

Major

Neuroscience or Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Research

Over the four weeks in FUTURE, I investigated axon regeneration in the tails of newts under the guidance of Dr. Ellen Dawley and Jon Livezey. We created gap-induced spinal injury twice on the newt’s tail and applied neurobiotin, a fluorescent molecule that highlights axons, on the second transection. Afterwards, we sectioned the tails with cryostat, and gathered data, using confocal microscope to look at the highlighted axons. 

Life After Ursinus

Our field trips to GSK and Temple School of Medicine opened up multiple options for my future career. Currently, I plan to pursue my college education on a pre-med track.