Outstanding Seniors in the College of Science: Jasmine Meredith

This fall, the College of Science recognized ten outstanding seniors for their contributions in and out of the classroom. Jasmine Meredith is this semester's recipient from Molecular & Cellular Biology.

The College of Science caught up with Jasmine to learn more about her experiences at the University of Arizona and what is on the horizon after graduation.

Why did you choose to study in MCB?

Practically speaking, Molecular and Cellular Biology has great foundation content for people like me who want to focus on health research and go into the field of medicine. They also have an emphasis in genetics and human health available, which I found very fascinating. On a personal level, I love learning how things work! What encodes, regulates, and builds us is very interesting to me, and a field I would like to contribute to.

Tell us about a class or research project you really enjoyed.

The project I devoted the majority of my time and efforts to, along with the project I am most proud of, is the animal drug testing of a previously approved FDA drug for migraines, Lasmiditan, in the novel treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

I devoted two summers in the Undergraduate Biology Research program along with ~15 honors credits per semester for 6 semesters to this project alongside my research mentor Dr. Atsushi Ishii in Dr. Madhavan's Lab. Under the guidance of Dr. Ishii’s meticulousness and precision, I put lots of practice into perfecting western blots on micro-dissected brain tissue regions, running Seahorse XF Cell Mito Stress tests, and afternoons performing, optimizing, and scoring mouse behavioral tests such as beam crossing, open field, and novel object recognition.

After gathering raw data, quantifying band intensities, and learning biological and behavioral science software such as ImageJ, ANY-maze, and BORIS, I utilized GraphPad Prism to visualize data, perform rigorous statistical analyses, and program for biological datasets. Our endurance paid off, as we found that the 5-HT1F receptor agonist, Lasmiditan, powerfully ameliorated the hallmark cortico-hippocampal pathology and cognitive deficits in the aging parkinsonian mouse model. Crucially, this therapeutic restoration was mechanistically confirmed to be driven by the induction of mitochondrial biogenesis, thereby reinforcing the critical role of metabolic repair in mitigating neurodegenerative progression.

What is one specific memory from your time at U of A you’ll cherish forever?

I have a Flute Performance minor from the Fred Fox School of music here at the UofA (finished my Junior year), and I will cherish the memories of performing on stage. In the flute choir or solo, I love music and being given the opportunity to practice, improve, and perform to a higher level makes me very proud! At the time, it could be very stressful, but being able to make music has always been something I have loved to do.

What are you most proud of having accomplished in your time at U of A?

I have been the president of the Badminton Club here at the UofA for ~3 years now and it has been a responsibility I have gained so much from. The leadership, managerial, problem-solving, and assertiveness skills have all evolved due to my position in the club, and I have benefited so much from it. I am very fortunate to have been able to learn and grow so much while being able to play the sport I love!

What is next for you after graduation?

I am in the Accelerated Master's Program for the MCB department. I am excited to continue as a member of Dr. Falk’s lab studying novel pharmacological interventions for L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias (LID), a major side effect of Parkinson’s disease treatment. Afterwards, I plan to pursue my MD/PhD!