Pakinee Phromsiri
Graduate Student, The Welte Lab
You work in a laboratory. What are you currently researching?
I am currently a graduate student in the Welte Lab in the Department of Biology. Our lab studies the diverse roles of lipid droplets in Drosophila. Once thought of as inert organelles, we now know they serve as sites of protein sequestration. One such protein, our lab has identified as the histone variant, H2Av. My project focuses on the effect of H2Av levels on developmental timing in early Drosophila embryos.
What was it that originally sparked your interest in biology?
My interest in science in general started back when I was in elementary school. I used to live in the DC-MD-VA area and frequently visited the Smithsonian with my family, consistently in awe of the exhibits. This interest only grew with time and funneled down to biology with an experiment during my time as an undergraduate, where the class had to extract DNA from strawberries—I never knew DNA could be extracted let alone seen with the naked eye like that!
What do you enjoy most about working here at the U of R?
Definitely the people. I consider my lab as well as the department my second home because of the people I have met during my time here. It has made my journey through grad school fly by.
How do you think our biology department stands out in comparison to other universities?
The tight-knit community and collaborative nature of the department enables us to not only advance science but also foster strong working relationships and support across different labs.
How do you unwind when you’re not in the lab?
I enjoy baking and cooking new recipes, paddle boarding (when it is warm enough), and playing with my pups, Cosmo and Cece.