Zoya Syed: RESEARCHER OF THE WEEK!

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 08:10:33 -0500
achuth, biological, dr, of, padmanabhan, researcher, sciences, syed, the, week, zoya

I am investigating how MAPK15, an atypical protein kinase, contributes to the growth and metastasis of ovarian cancer. I hope to determine its mechanisms by purifying the protein and conducting experiments to observe which proteins it interacts with in an in vitro system. I am also studying the effects of MAPK15 overexpression in ovarian cancer cells through conducting

experiments that measure cell proliferation, adhesion, migration and invasion.

Because MAPK15 is commonly overexpressed in ovarian cancer patients and its

overexpression shows increased cell growth in vitro, it has potential to be a novel

therapeutic target.

Who is your mentor(s) for your project?

Dr. Achuth Padmanabhan from the Biological Sciences Department is my

mentor, and I was connected to him through my former PI after I expressed

interest in cancer research and cellular biology. Dr. Padmanabhan has an

exceptional work ethic, and his enthusiasm for driving research on ovarian

cancer as well as the fascinating research being conducted in the lab really drew

me to work with him. I am also grateful to be working under PhD candidate

Fatimah Alfaran, who has taught me how to not only be an effective scientist, but

a motivated and enthusiastic one.

How did you become interested in this project?

I had spent the previous summer at the National Institute on Aging conducting

research that involved cancer cells (specifically observing DNA damage in HeLa

cells) and became intrigued with the mechanisms by which these cells continue

to spread and circumvent numerous cellular checkpoints. My research up until

that point was predominantly in fruit flies, and although I admire those little bugs

for how easy it is to manipulate their genome, I found that the cell model

produced quicker and more easily interpretable results. I am also deeply

passionate about advancing women’s health research and wish to contribute to

improving patient outcomes for many women struggling with this aggressive

gynecological malignancy disease. For me, ovarian cancer research lies perfectly

at the intersection of my scientific interests and personal motivations for being a

scientist.

What has been the hardest part about your research?

The hardest part of working as a researcher is picking yourself up after numerous

failed experiments and reminding yourself why you are doing research in the first

place. It is easy to love research when everything is going smoothly, but often,

research is slow, repetitive, and does not work, and your hours spent toiling away

in the cell culture room or pipetting until your thumbs are numb can amount to no

tangible data. However, appreciating the process and letting your failures direct

you to new experimental paths is what makes a resilient scientist. It is important

not to confuse your experimental failures with personal ones–the two are

completely separate, and your worth as a researcher does not depend on the

data you produce or if your experiment succeeded.

What has been the most rewarding part?

The most rewarding part of research is being able to see your months of hard

work come together, whether it is in the form of a presentation, publication, or a

random late night “a-ha!” moment where all the dots in your project miraculously

connect. This reignites your spark for science and sends you down a path of

intellectual discovery (and often a literature rabbit hole).

How will you disseminate your research (URCAD presentation, conference,

publication, etc?)

I am presenting at ABRCMS 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. I will also present at

URCAD next year and write an honors thesis on my project.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?

I would advise students to reach out to professors as early as they can and to

reach out to as many people as possible. I was very grateful to get my first

research position during my freshman year, and as a current senior, I can say

that it really enriched my college experience and made me a motivated student.

Don’t be afraid to hear a couple rejections before you land a position, it’s all part

of the process and you will end up where you need to be! Also, do not be afraid

to pivot to a new research direction or lab if your interests change.

What are your career goals?

I will pursue a PhD in cellular, molecular, and/or cancer biology, eventually

becoming the principal investigator of my own lab or pursuing an administrative

position in industry in which I can directly contribute to the advancement of

science!