For Devon Rose Leaver, the outdoors is where her curiosity for biology comes to life. During her five years of undergraduate and graduate study at Clark, she has combined her deep fascination for the natural world with love of rock climbing, leading her to research assistantships in two faculty labs, a summer internship, and presentations at scientific conferences.
First ascent
The biology major and political science minor first started rock climbing at the suggestion of a friend.
“They thought climbing would click with my brain because you’re trying to figure out the most efficient way to get from point A to point B. ”
In rock climbing, mastering an overhang, navigating complex routes, or compensating for sparse protection involve a blend of strength, careful observation, technique, and mental fortitude.
Three years in, Devon Rose has pursued the sport throughout the western U.S., New England, and eastern Canada. She is the co-founder of the Clark’s Climbing Club that meets at a rock gym in Worcester.
Process of discovery
During her sophomore year, Devon Rose joined the lab of mycologist David Hibbett. As part of their research, she joined the group paddling along the Ipswich River to study fungi like Tiger Sawgills. She also gained experience presenting research findings at a poster event at a national conference — the Mycological Society of America. Devon Rose is also president of the Mycology Club.
“David was the perfect mentor, the person I would absolutely suggest for an initial research experience.”
“When you’re in a city environment, it is sometimes hard to gain accessibility to outdoor experiences. Our Climbing Club, like the Outing Club, the Mycology Club, and other similar clubs are pushing people to go outdoors.”
“It was an incredible experience for testing out how to communicate my scientific research efficiently.”
Life at the microscopic scale
After a class with biology professor Javier Tabima Restrepo, Devon Rose became interested in DNA sequencing and processing. During her senior year, Devon Rose joined the lab of Professor Nathan Ahlgren, a marine microbial biologist.
“I really like the work that I do here because it allows me to think about the multiple perspectives of research. Sometimes you’re simply observing that an organism behaves a certain way, and you’re spending a lot of time going in depth about what that data means.”
The Ahlgren Lab examines interactions between the cyanophage virus and their host, Synechococcus cyanobacteria, an important foundation of life in the oceans that produce more than 12 percent of earth’s oxygen.
An internship in a biomolecular and science lab at Remix Therapeutics provided Devon Rose experience working on cell cultures and assay development, a key step in creating drugs that target certain molecules to fight disease.
“They treated me like an employee, which was awesome, while still providing the safety-like bars and wheels for an intern who was learning things for the first time.”
Devon Rose is completing advanced degree in biology through Clark’s 4+1 Accelerated Master’s and plans to pusue a Ph.D. in biology.
For her master’s thesis, Devon Rose will draw from the research conducted in Ahlgren’s lab studying a decade of water samples gathered from Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island.
“I have a lot of my own questions that I would like to answer and topics that I want to explore. I feel like undergraduate school is learning to learn, and then graduate school is learning to think.”
It’s another summit awaiting her. And she’s ready to climb.
Photographs, Steven King, Clark University photographer; courtesy Devon Rose Leaver
Video by Beth Prendergast
Story by Meredith Woodward King
