Blaise Stone '26

Pronouns
2024 Streicker International Fellow
Position
Major: Molecular Biology
Role
Internship Site: Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, England
Bio/Description

During my Streicker fellowship I worked with the Midwood Group at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology to help gather data for an upcoming paper on lung fibrosis. The Midwood Group within the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology (University of Oxford), works to use scientific discoveries and clinical research in promoting new therapies for inflammatory and musculoskeletal conditions. The group specializes in how the extracellular matrix contributes to inflammation, and hopes to find potential treatments of autoimmune, fibrotic, and metabolic diseases as well as cancer.

I was independent in the laboratory conducting experiments and analyzing data on my own, which I then discussed with my postdoc mentor and PI. The experiments involved dissecting tissue samples from mice followed by qPCR to quantify gene expression in the hopes of furthering understanding of fibrosis and promoting novel treatments. On the weekday evenings and weekends I explored the city of Oxford- I visited different colleges and gardens, had afternoon tea, and attended Pub trivia nights. I also got to immerse myself in the greater England culture through trips to London, Bath, Stonehenge, and Blenheim palace. Also, as a ballet dancer I was really excited to take ballet classes in Oxford and London. I truly loved my summer in Oxford and feel grateful to have had the opportunity to be challenged both academically and personally while working abroad.

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