Research fellow: Olivia Sherman
Hometown: Cumberland, RI
School: Salve Regina University
Major: Biology

As a junior last year, Olivia Sherman took a genetics course with Associate Professor J.D. Swanson, learned that he had an open spot in his lab, and scored a RI EPSCoR Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

This summer, Sherman is back at full-time research in the Swanson lab, helping investigate the genomes of the seaweed species Ulva rigida and Ulva compressa, for her second SURF experience.

“Just being able to learn the lab techniques and applications — I love doing stuff with seaweed, but really you can do it with anything,” says the Cumberland, R.I., resident. “I love genetics. I love DNA.”

Additionally, Sherman says, what she has learned in the SURF experience has helped her in her classes, giving her a boost that sets her a step ahead.

On one of this early summer’s so far rare sunny days, Sherman tip-toes around the rocks in the still cold shallow water at low tide in Brush Neck Cove, near Oakland Beach in Warwick, collecting samples of the Ulva sea lettuce. She fishes around in the water and pulls out a large piece of the marine plant, holding it up for fellow SURF Gabrielle Kuba to see.

Kuba heads over with a large plastic bag to help collect the samples for transport back to campus. The students will use the technique polyermase chain reaction (PCR) to investigate the genetic makeup of the species collected. That, Sherman says, will help the scientists gain a better understanding of algal bloom population dynamics.

“Looking at certain pieces of DNA unique to different individuals across species will tell us who and then what is causing the bloom,” she says. “SURF has allowed me to visualize DNA and the molecular basis for everything through the techniques that we use. Even though we’re working with seaweed and doing environmental research, it’s all connected — DNA is the building block of the whole world.”

Tracing her interest in genetics to high school, Sherman says she took an online class on genes and disease, and the experience opened her mind to the possibilities and steered her to the biology path. She arrived at Salve Regina University her freshman year with the intention of heading to medical school after graduation and studying oncology.

As graduation nears, Sherman says she still intends to pursue medicine, but on a different route: “I want to get my doctorate of osteopathic medicine and take a holistic treatment approach. And, I want to do women’s health, obstetrics or gynecology.”

Story and photos by Amy Dunkle