USCA students conduct biology research in the heart of Harvard 

Boston may seem like a long way from Aiken but not for Hayden Driver and Joseph Suazo, both USCA '28.  

 The two biology majors spent the summer interning at Harvard Medical School, where they conducted research with a USCA alumna in the Department of Pathology and Immunology at Brigham and Women's Hospital.  

This teaching hospital, with almost 800 beds, located in the heart of Harvard’s state-of-the-art medical complex, focuses on whole-of-patient and family care. The Brigham and Women’s team incorporates cutting-edge research and technology into patient protocols and treatment. The efforts of their medical professionals have led to medical breakthroughs in a variety of medical disciplines.   

Perhaps, the research these USCA biology students conducted at Harvard may inform new medical approaches. 

Hands-on at Harvard Medical School  

Throughout the summer, Driver and Suazo worked with Harvard students, faculty and researchers. They completed a variety of tasks each day, including preparing bacterial samples and growth media, incubating bacterial cultures, checking bacterial concentrations, performing affinity chromatography, helping prepare materials and supporting a variety of biomedical research projects.  

“They did an amazing job, adapting to a new lab environment and picking up novel scientific techniques, and their enthusiasm for science made it so fun having them in the lab,” said Dr. Connie Arthur, USCA ‘06 and assistant professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School  

“They are exactly the type of high caliber of students I would expect from USCA’s excellent scientific training program, which of course is near and dear to my heart since that’s also where I first found my own love of basic science research.”  

The USCA duo says they enjoyed working with “the best people in their fields” and are grateful for Arthur and the Harvard Medical School team who took the time to share insights about their research projects and new initiatives. Suazo also enjoyed the challenge of conducting research in Boston, which required flexibility and creative problem-solving.  

USCA created a foundation for success  

During their internship, Driver and Suazo applied those skills and other lab techniques they learned in their USCA advanced biology and research courses “all of the time,” according to Driver.    

“It was really interesting to work in a lab where we have to improvise a lot because we’re doing new stuff,” Suazo said. “It was also nice to apply what we learned at USCA.”    

Understanding the importance of laboratory techniques and safety is one lesson Suazo learned at USCA. During his internship, Suazo put this knowledge to work while at Harvard when he grew bacterial cultures, sterilized samples and extracted and purified proteins, specifically a key protein called Galectin-8.    

Suazo, who is originally from Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras, said he chose USCA after learning about its "amazing biology program."     

He knew he wanted to be part of it, and so did Driver.    

For Driver, a graduate of Midland Valley High School, majoring in molecular biology was a natural choice because he is "very passionate” about the subject, particularly the study of human biology.    

Both students credit their USCA experiences, professors – like Dr. April DeLaurier – and course work for their success during what they say was an “amazing” internship.    

“What we learned at USCA made everything much smoother,” Suazo said.    

Don’t hesitate to take risks     

Driver first learned about the possibility of a Harvard internship opportunity while in high school. Arthur spoke to students, including Driver, when she visited Midland Valley High School, her own alma mater.    

When the time came for the Pacers to find an internship, Driver reached out to Arthur and shared the opportunity with Suazo.    

"Don't be scared to ask," Driver advises students interested in pursuing an internship.    

He said he was grateful he wasn't afraid to seek guidance and information, even when it felt intimidating. While many students may hesitate to ask for opportunities, he believes taking that first step can make all the difference.    

Suazo encouraged students not to be afraid to pursue internship opportunities, emphasizing that simply asking and taking a chance can open unexpected doors.    

USCA Career Services can help students take the first step toward an internship and ultimately career planning. The team in Career Services provides guidance, knowledge, experiences, skill and connections that will lead to successful, lifelong career management.   

The Career Services staff invites students to empower themselves by taking charge of their internships and future careers. The staff is available to assist students through this process. They also assist Pacers in their searches for full-time employment. The staff organizes career panels, leadership programs and sponsor career fairs each semester. Individual career counseling appointments are available upon request.  

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