Tufts University Entry Essay

I plan to execute my doctoral work at Tufts University and continue forward with a productive career in translational research. I am eager to examine the interface of diet and nutrition on metabolic disease and disorders with a focus on aging populations. My extensive and varied research exposure gained at Allegheny College and through my post-bac at the NIH has molded me into an inquisitive, well-rounded scientist and drives me towards advanced academic work resulting in a PhD. The field of nutrition encompasses all systems, tissues and cell types. My interdisciplinary background is well suited to study the combined fields of nutrition and metabolism. I am excited to examine nutrition in an aging population because it provides an opportunity

I am interested in integrating nutrition and the unique challenges of the aging population. Receptive to others’ suggestions and ideas from differing viewpoints and backgrounds, I know how to ask for, receive, and lend help. I want to give back to my community through both relevant findings at the bench, and inspiring the next generation of students. I plan to complete my doctoral work at Tufts University and continue with a productive career in translational research. A fruitful research career aligns with my work ethic, thirst for knowledge, organizational skills, and attention to detail. To that end, I will study metabolic perturbations, devising interventions to alter the progression of age-related conditions and metabolic disease. I could find a home in Dr. Andrew Greenburg’s Obesity Lab studying inflammation and insulin resistance in obese mice. Dr. Oliver Chen, in the Antioxidants Research Lab, explores mechanisms of action of phytochemicals to modulate inflammation and blood glucose. I can see myself contributing to the work of Dr. Roger Fielding in the Nutrition, Exercise Physiology, and Sarcopenia Lab, investigating the gut microbiome and other signaling molecules effect on muscle mass and inflammation in older adults. Aging impacts every system in the body and as aging researchers, we must consider the entire organism instead of focusing on just one tissue or pathway. We are now beginning to move interventions from the lab to the clinic, a process that is likely to accelerate as our understanding and technology improves. But to maintain that pipeline, new ways of thinking have to be invented; I can think of no better adventure to be involved in. The summer I spent in Boston as an undergrad gave me a taste of what my future holds and I am excited to wear the Tufts’ blue and