Hood College Biomedical Science Graduate Student Wins Poster Competition at Frederick National Laboratory

Hood College Biomedical Science M.S. student, Zoe Putman, wins a poster competition at Frederick National Laboratory where she currently works.

Zoe Putman, M.S. Biomedical Science

Program

Biomedical Science (M.S.)

Department

Biology

Graduate Student

Academics
Research
Health Sciences

04/01/2019

Can you provide a quick bio? Any general background that you would like to share, as well as your educational and career background.

My name is Zoe Putman, I am 23, and I graduated from the University of Maryland in Spring 2018. I recently started a master’s program in Biomedical Science at Hood College. I also started as a Post Baccalaureate Fellow at the Protein Expression Lab (PEL) at the Frederick National Laboratory.

Why did you choose Hood College Graduate School? How has it helped your career?

I chose Hood College because I knew I wanted to pursue my master’s degree, but I also didn’t want to go away for school. When I started to explore my options, I came across Hood College’s Biomedical Science program and I knew it was a perfect fit. It was within driving distance and I hoped it would be a good networking opportunity for me to hopefully find a position at one of the research labs located in Frederick, MD. Enrolling in a Hood College graduate program helped me immensely because I love the work that I do now at the Frederick National Lab, and I would not have this position if it was not for Dr. Boyd putting me in contact with my boss Dr. Dom Esposito.

What was the theme of the poster competition and what did you present?

At the ISBiotech conference, I presented a poster that shared some of my preliminary thesis research data. This was my first ever conference so I was just excited to be able to attend and share some of the research I have been working on. I was extremely surprised and happy when I ended up winning the poster competition for the academic category!

The research I do at work for PEL and for my thesis project is optimizing the expression of KRAS4b through the use of modified promotors. My current research is focused on is developing modified polyhedron promotor to express the Farnesyltransferase at lower levels. We hope that by optimizing the ratios of FNT and KRAS we can achieve greater overall KRAS yields.

What did you enjoy about Hood College? Do you have a favorite memory?

I enjoy the small Hood College graduate class sizes as well as the flexible class schedule that allows for people to work and go to school. I also enjoy the great networking opportunities that Hood College provides. I think it’s a great option for people looking to further their education while working.

Inspired to #GOFURTHER in your higher education? Learn more about Hood College's graduate programs including the M.S. in Biomedical Science by clicking here.