Richard L. McCormick Interim President | Stony Brook University
Richard L. McCormick Interim President | Stony Brook University
Yuu-U ("Loy") Hashimoto, a junior majoring in biology with a minor in applied mathematics and statistics, has been named the URECA researcher of the month for October. Since March 2024, she has been working under the mentorship of Eugene Serebryany, assistant professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics. Her research focuses on protein aggregation in the eye lens and a potential non-surgical treatment involving myo-inositol, a metabolite found in the human eye lens.
Hashimoto's proposal to study "The mechanism of myo-inositol in HgD-NtD crystallin aggregation" earned her one of two Chhabra-URECA Fellowships awarded to 2024 URECA summer applicants. This fellowship provides funding for undergraduate research and recognizes students passionate about research.
When discussing her motivation for this work, Hashimoto said, "Growing up as the daughter of a blind mother has influenced me to always hold a deep interest in anything eye-related. I was particularly invested in conducting research that would benefit individuals with visual impairments and would like to pursue it more seriously moving forward."
Hashimoto's interest in research began as a freshman when she joined Natasha Vitek's laboratory in January 2023. Vitek is an assistant professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution. During her time there, Hashimoto participated in the inaugural 2023 SUNY SOAR summer research program. Her project involved measuring dentine and enamel thicknesses in over 50 mice teeth, which she presented at the 2023 Summer Symposium on campus.
Following her graduation from Stony Brook University, Hashimoto plans to pursue a PhD in biomedical sciences.
On campus, Hashimoto is active as president of the Japanese Student Organization and participates in an externship for the Diversity Professional Leadership Network. She is also involved with the AAPI mentoring program for Asian American and Pacific Islanders and the Women’s Leadership Council.
Read the full interview with URECA Director Karen Kernan.
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