Florin Alexandru Saitis

I am a second year student majoring in biology on the pre-med track. I chose UWM because it received the "gold standard” research classification from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The summer before my freshman year, I was a part of the UR@UWM summer research program, where I investigated the mechano-chemistry of proteins. I was offered a volunteer position in the Popa Lab, and I assisted my professor, Dr. Ionel Popa, during UWM’s 48th season of Science Bag, using interactive performances to teach children about the “magic of proteins.” I have been filled with a passion for learning about science, and I plan on doing everything I can to become a physician. I am currently working as an undergraduate cancer researcher at the Medical College of Wisconsin, investigating mitochondrial homeostasis, under the mentorship of Dr. Blake Hill. I am conducting research and have submitted a cancer fellowship proposal to study how mitochondrial homeostasis can be targeted therapeutically to reduce pancreatic cancer tumors.