The Thackeray Lab
at Clark University
Fouad Bouzeineddine, 5th Year Master Program
Bio: When I first came to Clark I intended to study premed, and become a neurologist. However, as soon as I took my first biology class, the freshman biology research seminar, I fell in love with genetics. And then when I took microbiology, I loved that too. And anatomy. And psychology. Everything I’ve taken has broadened my interests. If you look hard enough you can see the interconnection of all the sciences and humanities. That is what captivates me and what is really fun for me about learning. I graduated last spring a biology and psychology major, and thoroughly enjoyed the fact that many people I knew still thought I was an English, government, or philosophy major. I first got to work on biology with an internship at UMass Medical School with Dr. Marc Freeman’s lab. I worked on identifying genes and proteins required for glial invasiveness and engulfment in Drosophila.
It was a fantastic opportunity, and I had a great time, especially with the fancy confocal imaging microscopes. After my internship, I joined Dr. Justin Thackeray's lab and started the work I am currently involved in for my accelerated Master’s degree. I am looking at a mutation of the small wing gene in Drosophila, trying to explain the effects of the disruption of the gene at the cellular level, using a tag to track the expression of the mutated gene, and inducing patches of the mutation in an otherwise normal organism. I have a seemingly separate interest in psychology, my other major. Although I am very interested in the intersection of the two fields, at the level of the neurosciences, my research there currently focuses on the psychology of political participation, polarization, and conflict. I have done field research in Lebanon under the supervision of Dr. Joseph de Rivera, and an honors thesis study on leadership roles in intergroup attitudes and conflict resolution. After my Master’s, I hope to pursue a PhD degree in social neuroscience and/or social psychology, and use my studies in an effort to apply the social and biological sciences to global policy issues and peace-building.
Outside the Lab: I was an undergrad TA for Intro to Psych, and teach Arabic to the willing in my spare time. Teaching it seems is just as fun for me as learning. As for extracurricular activities, I was the Student Council representative on the University's Undergraduate Academic Board, secretary of the Muslim Cultural Society, vice president of the Undergraduate Psychology Committee, and vice president of the Dead Poets' Society. I was also involved with Clark PeaceWorks and Amnesty International. My interests include music, particularly blues and jazz, literature, travel, languages, politics, soccer, table tennis, and basketball.
Honors and Awards:
- Phi Beta Kappa Association of Boston Scholarship for College Students, June 2009
- Recognized as ‘Unsung Hero’ by Clark University at Commencement, May 2009
- Psi Chi, Spring 2009
- Clark University Presidential Scholarship, 2005-2009
- Colin Undergraduate Award for Creativity in Psychology, Fall 2008
- Margaret M. Comer Award, Summer 2008
- Phi Beta Kappa, Spring 2008
e-mail: fbouzeineddine@clarku.edu
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