Jack Cutting
Graduate Student, The Gorbunova Lab
You work in a laboratory. What are you currently researching?
My project looks at aging, and how it’s different in shorter-lived and longer-lived species. Specifically, I’m looking at a gene known as Sirt6 that has been shown to influence lifespan, and different variants that are found in different species. By looking how these variants are different, we can explore whether these differences contribute to longevity in longer-living species.
What was it that originally sparked your interest in biology?
I have always been fascinated with how biology finds ways to solve complex problems. Biological systems have found ways to thrive in the most adverse conditions, using extremely simple building blocks to make systems that are both elegant and resilient. It’s like reverse-engineering a piece of alien technology -- except instead of solving time travel, we find ways to help humans live longer and happier lives!
What advice would you give to prospective students looking to study in our department?
Don’t be afraid to reach out! Everyone here is extremely friendly and helpful, and many of us would be happy to take some time to answer questions about our research, the department culture, etc. Finding where you want to go for grad school is all about researching the work, and seeing whether you’d be happy there in the long run; getting perspective from someone already there can be a great way to answer those questions.
What’s the most important thing that you’ve learned working here and/or studying biology?
Time is your scarcest resource, and organization will save you. Especially in a PhD where much of your time is self-organized, it can be easy to either throw yourself into a project without really thinking it through, or to be so distracted with other things and not take enough time to be successful. Taking just a couple hours a week to plan out your time can make the difference between being productive, or wasting time trying to catch up later.
How do you think our biology department stands out in comparison to other universities?
Two things -- the people, and the resources. People here are amazing, everyone is friendly and does their best to give support which allows for strong collaborative bonds. At the same time, the U of R has some incredible resources to help with research -- we have access to proteomics, sequencing, and animal cores that are comparable to top tier universities. And finally, by being so close to an active medical center we can work with medical labs to further inform our research.