Olivia Brado

Staff Writer, Trinity College

Writer Bio

I am in the class of 2024 at Trinity College as a Presidential Scholar! I study Biochemistry and French, and I am on the pre-medical track. On campus, I am part of the Interdisciplinary Science Program, involved with our community service club ACES, and on the equestrian team. In my free time, I enjoy reading poetry, playing video games with friends, and taking naps!

Research Interests

Virology

I would like to better understand the evolution of viruses and how it led to their current chemical makeup. With that in mind, I want to focus on the intersection between virology and immunology, particularly on how different viruses attempt to hide from or overcome the human immune system.

Structural Biology

I am in the early stages of researching ion channels in Trinity’s chemistry department. Here, we use a variety of techniques, like fluorescence spectroscopy, to study ion channel structure and function.

Genetics

I want to get a better understanding of genetic mutations and how these can lead to disease. In conjunction with that, I would like to study their treatments, with a focus on CRSPR and its potential use in modern medicine.

Ethics

I believe that ethics is an important part of scientific research that is too often glanced over, especially in formal education. I hope to learn more about how ethics plays a role in everyday science and the restrictions in place to limit ethical violations in the field.