Julia McGovern is a Kenyon College Class of 2027 student majoring in Biology. Their interests include epidemiology, microbiology, public health, the biological mechanisms of disease, and how nutrition and food processing influence chronic disease and cancer risk.

Previous research experience: I work in Professor Ethan Hillman's lab mapping metabolic pathways of newly discovered Bifidobacterium strains. As part of the Pelotonia cohort, I also helped develop a Food Processing Quality Index and examine its relationship with cancer biomarkers such as CRP levels.

How I got started: I spoke with professors about their research, used those conversations to narrow my interests, tried different research settings, and ultimately joined a project through a class before applying broadly to summer opportunities and joining a research program at The Ohio State University.

Open to being contacted: Yes

Preferred contact: mcgovjulia@gmail.com

Advice/notes: Research assistant opportunities; epidemiology; microbiology; public health; nutrition and cancer; Excel; RStudio; phlebotomy; scientific posters; KBase; KEGG Mapper; summer research applications.

Location