Major(s): Genetics
Minor(s): Bioinformatics, Public Health
Class Year: 26
High School: Ronald Reagan High School
Advisor: Dr. Jeffrey Cirillo
Research Focus: Tuberculosis, Host-Pathogen Interactions, Immunology, Cellular Aging
Other Projects and Publications: Experimentally Identifying Phage Lysis Genes through Lysis Complementation Assays (Advisor: Dr. Ryland Young, Spring 2023 - Spring 2024)
Organizations & Programs: Undergraduate Research Ambassadors, Hullabaloo U Peer Mentor, Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP), Biochemistry & Genetics Society, MSC FLI Costa Rica Service Learning Program
Activities: Traveling, Volunteering, Journaling, Trying out coffee shops, Serving at church, (non-competitive) Pickleball
Awards: Phi Kappa Phi Dean’s Excellence Award, Dean's Honor Roll, University Honors, Biochemistry & Biophysics Departmental Honors (in Genetics)
Experience: Fall/Spring Research, Summer Research (REU), Presentations (Oral & Poster), Scientific Writing
Years Experience: 1.5
Howdy! My name is Gabriella (Gabi) Ganser, and I am a genetics major at Texas A&M University pursuing minors in bioinformatics and public health studies. This is my first year serving as an Undergraduate Research Ambassador, and I am thrilled to spread enthusiasm on and off campus for undergraduate research experiences!
I have always been highly fascinated by human physiology and medical biotechnology. Originally, I started my undergraduate journey as a pre-medical student, however my career plans quickly started to change once I began my first research position in Dr. Ryland Young’s research lab at the Center for Phage Technology. For the past three semesters, I have worked under Dr. Young studying bacteriophage lysis. Bacteriophages (or “phages”) are viruses that exclusively infect bacteria, and they hold tremendous potential for fighting against antimicrobial resistant infections. My specific project focused on experimentally identifying lysis genes in a phage that targets Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacteria responsible for biofilm formation in patients with cystic fibrosis. Working in Dr. Young’s research lab not only introduced me to basic research and helped me learn technical skills, it also ignited my passion for scientific discovery and communication.
In addition to my experience in the Young Lab, I participated in the Baylor College of Medicine Summer Undergraduate Research Training (SMART) Program this past summer, working in Dr. Alison Bertuch’s telomere research lab. My project focused on a telomere regulatory protein that is frequently found to be mutated in patients with bone marrow failure. This fall, I will be transitioning to a new position in Dr. Jeffrey Cirillo’s research lab, and I cannot wait to get started. I will be researching tuberculosis (TB), specifically how TB infections lead to premature cellular aging.
Post-undergrad, I plan to pursue an MD/PhD, with an ultimate career goal of becoming a physician-scientist. I hope to practice medicine while also being actively involved in basic/translational research. Getting involved in research has without a doubt been the best decision of my undergraduate experience so far, and I highly recommend it to all students!! No matter what field you are interested in, there is a way to get involved in research. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out! I would love nothing more than to guide others in their undergraduate research path :)