{"id":12055,"date":"2025-03-20T19:14:07","date_gmt":"2025-03-20T19:14:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.golive.clarku.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/20\/from-the-lab-to-the-gym-devon-rose-leaver-strives-for-peak-performance\/"},"modified":"2025-05-19T09:19:06","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T13:19:06","slug":"from-the-lab-to-the-gym-devon-rose-leaver-strives-for-peak-performance","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/20\/from-the-lab-to-the-gym-devon-rose-leaver-strives-for-peak-performance\/","title":{"rendered":"From the lab to the gym, Devon Rose Leaver strives for peak performance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n<p class=\"intro news-subhead\">Biology student and avid rock climber plans her route to a Ph.D. <\/p>\n\n\n<p><html><body><\/p>\n\n\n<p>Devon Rose Leaver\u2019s five years of undergraduate and graduate study in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/departments\/biology\/\">biology<\/a> at Clark has been packed with classes, research assistantships in two faculty labs, a summer internship near Boston, scientific conferences, and even part-time jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As she works on her master\u2019s thesis, Leaver \u201924, M.S. \u201925, is reaching for her apex: a spot in a Ph.D. program. In a time of uncertainty for prospective doctoral students, she\u2019s still weighing her options after getting into one program and waiting to hear from others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She\u2019s interested in studying molecular biology and microbial ecology \u2014 the genetics, composition, functionality, and ecology of microbial communities \u2014 similar to what she\u2019s studied most recently in the lab of Professor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/faculty\/profiles\/nathan-ahlgren\/\">Nathan Ahlgren<\/a>, a marine microbial biologist and the Warren Litsky Endowed Chair in Biology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy diverse experiences in research,\u201d she says, \u201chave pushed me to realize that a Ph.D. program is a commitment to pursuing a dedicated and in-depth approach to a topic. And if you are not fully engaged with that and impassioned by that, it is very difficult to contribute what you would want to contribute.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote roomy\"><blockquote><p>\u201cMy experience at Clark would be very different if I didn\u2019t have an outlet for my energy and my passion for being outside.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But graduate-level research is not the only peak Leaver has conquered. The biology major and political science minor reached new heights when she started rock climbing during her sophomore year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI was lifting weights, and a friend suggested I try rock climbing. They thought it would click with my brain because you\u2019re trying to figure out the most efficient and creative way to get from point A to point B,\u201d Leaver recalls. \u201cWe started climbing together and then we said, \u2018We should start a club.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They did. The three-year-old club officially climbs at Central Rock Gym in Worcester. (Because of liability issues, members pursue outdoor climbing individually, not with the club.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI love climbing. When you\u2019re in a city environment, it is sometimes hard to gain accessibility to outdoor experiences,\u201d Leaver says. \u201cThat\u2019s why our club, like the Outing Club, the Mycology Club, and other similar clubs are pushing people to go outdoors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy experience at Clark would be very different if I didn\u2019t have an outlet for my energy and my passion for being outside.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Three years in, she has pursued the sport throughout New England, eastern Canada; and&nbsp; the western U.S., including a 600-foot cliff in Colorado\u2019s Eldorado Canyon. Her favorite place to climb is the 60-foot-high Otter Cliff overlooking the ocean in Acadia National Park in Maine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"double-bottom-margin\">\u201cI don\u2019t know how many times in your life you get to climb on a shoreline,\u201d Leaver says. \u201cOver five hours from when you start climbing, you see the tide come in right below you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover is-light\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\" style=\"background-color:#FFF\"><\/span><video class=\"wp-block-cover__video-background intrinsic-ignore\" autoplay muted loop playsinline src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Devon-Rose_Ambient_v2.mp4\" data-object-fit=\"cover\"><\/video><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\"><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-leaping-from-high-school-to-college\">Leaping from high school to college<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In rock climbing, Leaver has learned to find a patch of solid ground to hold onto, moving from one crag to the other to reach the clifftop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In her academic work and research, the Pell Grant recipient is similarly driven to take on new challenges, scramble over obstacles, and find stable footing to meet the goals she once believed to be out of reach \u2014 while enjoying herself along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her interest in biology research started in high school in Westchester, N.Y. To learn more about how she might get from Point A to Point B, she worked at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI loved that experience. That is where research really clicked with me,\u201d she recalls, \u201cbecause I was interacting with grad students who were really smart, but they also had Pok\u00e9mon stickers on their desk and liked \u2018Dr. Who,\u2019 which was my favorite TV show. They were human, you know \u2014 very serious people in lab coats, but they were real.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote roomy\"><blockquote><p>\u201cI had a pretty strong feeling I wanted to do a graduate degree, but obviously, you get to college, and you never know what\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, Leaver chose Clark because it was on the list of \u201cColleges That Change Lives\u201d and seemed like a good fit for someone who wasn\u2019t always sure of her path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat was very appealing to me as a high schooler who was trying to navigate all the technical boundaries of a university,\u201d she says, \u201cand then after looking into it, I found out that Clark had a lot of private research and that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/academics\/accelerated-masters\/\">[4+1] Accelerated Master\u2019s program<\/a> existed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI had a pretty strong feeling I wanted to do a graduate degree, but obviously, you get to college, and you never know what\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For one, Leaver thought she wanted to study biochemistry and European history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThen I shifted gears and did biology and political science because I really love the policy aspects of political science,\u201d she says, \u201cespecially because I find there isn\u2019t a ton of overlap all the time between people who do the research and people who write the policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI have had amazing advisors throughout my experience at Clark who have allowed me to connect with the classes and course loads and material that have interested me,\u201d Leaver adds. \u201cI\u2019m happy I chose Clark because it\u2019s definitely a good base for students who might come in and not know what they want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-building-her-academic-muscles\">Building her academic muscles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Leaver became interested in public health when she arrived at Clark in fall 2020 \u2014 in the heart of the pandemic \u2014 and took Philosophy Professor Patrick Derr\u2019s First-Year Intensive (FYI) course, AIDS to COVID: Ethics and Pandemics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was a great course,\u201d she says. \u201cI quickly learned how relevant policy is to research and vice versa through the constant stream of papers we were researching and writing.\u201d<br><br>Her interest in public policy and environmental politics led her to take classes with Political Science Professor Edward Cohen, who became her advisor for her minor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI wasn&#8217;t sure if I wanted to do public health or environmental science or continue my biology research,\u201d Leaver says. \u201cHe was so kind to sit down and show me programs and give me insights and just talk after class. He is a fantastic professor for engaging with students who come from backgrounds different than political science.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/mycology-hero-1024x576-2.jpg\" alt=\"Devon Rose Leaver holding mushroom on a tree\" class=\"wp-image-74608\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">While foraging with members of the Hibbett Lab, Devon Rose Leaver finds a mushroom on a tree. (<em>Photo courtesy of the Hibbett Lab)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Mycology-conference-Devon-Rose-1024x668-2.jpg\" alt=\"Students and a postdoc at a conference with Professor David Hibbett\" class=\"wp-image-74630\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Devon Rose Leaver \u201924, M.S. \u201925, Ph.D. student Thomas Roehl, Sofie Irons \u201923, M.S. \u201924, and Professor David Hibbett present their research poster, \u201cLentinus Tigrinus Dimorphism: Sampling, Population Genetics, Assortative Mating\u201d at the Mycological Society of America\u2019s annual conference. <em>(Photo courtesy of the Hibbett Lab)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-gaining-research-experience\">Gaining research experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Leaver realized she still wanted to pursue biology research, however. One day while working on campus, she struck up a conversation with biology professor, and her soon-to-be co-mentor, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/faculty\/profiles\/javier-tabima-restrepo\/\">Javier Tabima Restrepo<\/a>, who noticed her double-DNA earrings and encouraged her to pursue research in biology. Having read \u201cEntangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures,\u201d Leaver reached out to his colleague, world-renowned mycologist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/faculty\/profiles\/david-hibbett\/\">David Hibbett<\/a>, the Andrea B. and Peter D. &#8217;64 Klein Distinguished Professor of Biology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI realized, \u2018Wow, there is an opportunity to pursue this really diverse research in a lab,\u2019 \u201d she recalls.<br><br>Her sophomore year, she joined the <a href=\"https:\/\/hibbettlablog.wordpress.com\/\">Hibbett Lab<\/a>. \u201cDavid was the perfect mentor, the person I would absolutely suggest for an initial research experience,\u201d Leaver says. \u201cEverything I learned from the Hibbett Lab is very relevant to my current and future work and was incredibly beneficial as a foundation for research.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She also worked closely with Ph.D. student <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fungusfactfriday.com\/\">Thomas Roehl<\/a>, who helped her prepare for her first research poster presentation at the national annual conference for the Mycological Society of America. Leaver and her co-presenter, Sofie Irons \u201923, M.S. \u201924, joined Hibbett, Tabima, and Roehl at the conference in Flagstaff, Arizona, where they also had the chance to hike and forage for mushrooms.<br><br>\u201cIt was an incredible experience for testing out how to communicate my scientific research efficiently,\u201d Leaver says, \u201cI&#8217;m a big advocate of going to conferences. They provide a great exposure experience for students to meet other people, delve more into research, and ask more questions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignfull size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Leaver-Alhgren-lab-confer-1024x682-2.jpg\" alt=\"Nathan Ahlgren and Devon Rose looking at statistics\" class=\"wp-image-74613\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Devon Rose Leaver and Biology Professor Nathan Ahlgren examine the results of their DNA sequencing and processing of microbes that flourish in Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-fine-tuning-her-biology-interests\">Fine-tuning her biology interests<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After taking a class with Tabima on The Genome Project, Leaver became interested in DNA sequencing and processing \u2014 the steps following isolation and extraction of the genetic material. They had used data from Ahlgren, a guest lecturer in the class, and Leaver became interested in his work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her senior year, she joined the <a href=\"https:\/\/nahlgren.wordpress.com\/\">Ahlgren Lab<\/a> to work on a $1.1 million National Science Foundation-funded project examining the interactions between the cyanophage virus and their host,&nbsp;<em>Synechococcus&nbsp;<\/em>cyanobacteria, an important foundation of life in the oceans that produce as much as 15 percent of earth\u2019s oxygen. The research is key to understanding the ocean\u2019s ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leaver master\u2019s thesis draws from the <a href=\"https:\/\/clarknow.clarku.edu\/2024\/02\/15\/funded-by-1-million-in-nsf-grants-researchers-dive-into-undersea-war-of-the-microbes\/\">research<\/a> she conducted in Ahlgren\u2019s lab, where she studied 15 years of water samples gathered from Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. She gained experience in DNA sequencing and genomics, biostatistics, and bioinformatics. She also took microbiology and virology classes with Ahlgren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote roomy\"><blockquote><p>\u201cIt\u2019s a bit mind-boggling to think that something that you can\u2019t really see can be majorly impacted by a wide range environmental and\/or anthropogenic factors and have major impacts themselves.\u201d <\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI really like the work that I do here because it allows me to think about the multiple perspectives of research,\u201d Leaver says. \u201cSometimes you\u2019re simply observing that an organism behaves a certain way, and other times you\u2019re spending a lot of time going in depth about what that data means.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But over time, she adds, researchers might \u201cfind bigger implications, like uncovering shifts in population dynamics and even how things might move around the ocean because of the shifting climate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a bit mind-boggling to think that something that you can\u2019t really see can be majorly impacted by a wide range environmental and\/or anthropogenic factors and have major impacts themselves,\u201d Leaver says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the little spare time she has, Leaver keeps abreast of science news and history by reading books and listening to podcasts like <em>Science Versus<\/em>, <em>Ologies<\/em>, and <em>Stuff You Should Know<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI have books in my closet that are on anything from the evolutionary history of cognition, to black holes, to the story of Henrietta Lacks,\u201d Leaver says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Devon-Rose-Leaver-Onramp-internship-1.jpg\" alt=\"Devon Rose Leaver stands in front of the Remix Therapeutics sign\" class=\"wp-image-74637\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cThey treated me like an employee, which was awesome,\u201d says Devon Rose Leaver of her internship at Remix Therapeutics. <em>(Photo courtesy of Devon Rose Leaver)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-biotech-internship-no-car-no-problem\">A biotech internship: no car, no problem<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Leaver has found opportunities to build and refine her knowledge, including through the Harrison Mackler \u201907 Summer Research Award for Biology and Biochemistry majors. Last summer, she further expanded her research profile with an internship supported by <a href=\"https:\/\/clarknow.clarku.edu\/2022\/08\/10\/project-onramp-puts-clark-students-in-the-fast-lane\/\">Project Onramp<\/a>, which provides access for under-resourced students to land high-quality, paid positions in the life sciences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She faced one barrier, however. Leaver \u2014 who has helped pay her way through college with jobs at Central Rock Gym, a local coffeehouse, and Clark\u2019s chemistry stockroom \u2014&nbsp;doesn\u2019t own a car. She lives in Worcester, and her internship at Remix Therapeutics in Watertown was over 41 miles away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She didn\u2019t let that stand in her way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI invested in an electric scooter,\u201d Leaver says. She took an MBTA commuter train from Worcester to Boston Landing, and then \u201cI scootered to work every single day,\u201d retracing her path at the end of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m a big public transportation person. It\u2019s more efficient than a car and it\u2019s better for the environment,\u201d she says. \u201cBut the commute was the hardest part of the internship \u2014 having to get up and catch a train at 6:30 a.m. and getting home at 6:30 p.m. every day was a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a biomolecular and science lab on the biochemistry team, Leaver worked with cell cultures and assay development, a key step in creating drugs that target certain molecules to fight disease. Remix made sure she had plenty of opportunities to network with scientists in and outside of the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey 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,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI hadn&#8217;t done any of that lab work before. Nor had I taken a biochemistry class. So, it was a big learning curve. And everybody was incredibly patient and kind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leaver received advice and support from employees throughout the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote roomy\"><blockquote><p>\u201cI feel like undergraduate school is learning to learn, and then graduate school is learning to think.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Knowing that she was applying for Ph.D. programs, one scientist coached her, asking a simple, direct question: \u201cWhy do you want a Ph.D.?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She realized she had never before been asked this question so bluntly, but she now has an answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI have a lot of my own questions that I would like to answer and topics that I want to explore,\u201d Leaver says. \u201cI feel like undergraduate school is learning to learn, and then graduate school is learning to think. And I know I have a lot of room to grow in terms of my critical thinking skills and then applying them to a topic that I want to study for five or six years in an in-depth and unique way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s another summit awaiting her. And she\u2019s ready to climb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignfull size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Devon-Rose-Leaver-overheang-1.jpg\" alt=\"Devon Rose Leaver climbs at Central Rock Gym in Worcester\" class=\"wp-image-74611\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Photos by Steven King (unless otherwise indicated)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Video by Beth Prendergast<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Biology student and avid rock climber plans her route to a Ph.D. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":12056,"template":"","meta":{"story_color":"#525250","story_headerImg":12056,"section_label":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[227],"displayed_author":[242],"featured":[],"topic":[401,244,160,162,127,121],"class_list":["post-12055","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-technology","displayed_author-meredith-woodward-king","topic-bioinformatics","topic-biology","topic-faculty-research","topic-research","topic-undergraduate-research","topic-undergraduate-students"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.5 (Yoast SEO v27.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>From the lab to the gym, Devon Rose Leaver strives for peak performance | ClarkU News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/20\/from-the-lab-to-the-gym-devon-rose-leaver-strives-for-peak-performance\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From the lab to the gym, Devon Rose Leaver strives for peak performance\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Biology student and avid rock climber plans her route to a Ph.D.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/20\/from-the-lab-to-the-gym-devon-rose-leaver-strives-for-peak-performance\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ClarkU News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-19T13:19:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/mycology-hero.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1125\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.clarku.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/20\\\/from-the-lab-to-the-gym-devon-rose-leaver-strives-for-peak-performance\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.clarku.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/20\\\/from-the-lab-to-the-gym-devon-rose-leaver-strives-for-peak-performance\\\/\",\"name\":\"From the lab to the gym, Devon Rose Leaver strives for peak performance | ClarkU News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.clarku.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.clarku.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/20\\\/from-the-lab-to-the-gym-devon-rose-leaver-strives-for-peak-performance\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.clarku.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/20\\\/from-the-lab-to-the-gym-devon-rose-leaver-strives-for-peak-performance\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.clarku.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/37\\\/mycology-hero.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-20T19:14:07+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-19T13:19:06+00:00\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.clarku.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/20\\\/from-the-lab-to-the-gym-devon-rose-leaver-strives-for-peak-performance\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.clarku.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/20\\\/from-the-lab-to-the-gym-devon-rose-leaver-strives-for-peak-performance\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.clarku.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/37\\\/mycology-hero.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.clarku.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/37\\\/mycology-hero.jpg\",\"width\":2000,\"height\":1125,\"caption\":\"Devon Rose Leaver holding mushroom on a tree\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.clarku.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-json\\\/wp\\\/v2\\\/story\\\/12055#breadcrumbs\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":0,\"name\":\"ClarkU\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.clarku.edu\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"ClarkU News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.clarku.edu\\\/news\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Stories\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.clarku.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-json\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Stories\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.clarku.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-json\\\/wp\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Stories\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.clarku.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-json\\\/wp\\\/v2\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":5,\"name\":\"Stories\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.clarku.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-json\\\/wp\\\/v2\\\/story\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":6,\"name\":\"Stories\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.clarku.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-json\\\/wp\\\/v2\\\/story\\\/12055\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.clarku.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.clarku.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"ClarkU News\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.clarku.edu\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"From the lab to the gym, Devon Rose Leaver strives for peak performance | ClarkU News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/20\/from-the-lab-to-the-gym-devon-rose-leaver-strives-for-peak-performance\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"From the lab to the gym, Devon Rose Leaver strives for peak performance","og_description":"Biology student and avid rock climber plans her route to a Ph.D.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/20\/from-the-lab-to-the-gym-devon-rose-leaver-strives-for-peak-performance\/","og_site_name":"ClarkU News","article_modified_time":"2025-05-19T13:19:06+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2000,"height":1125,"url":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/mycology-hero.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/20\/from-the-lab-to-the-gym-devon-rose-leaver-strives-for-peak-performance\/","url":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/20\/from-the-lab-to-the-gym-devon-rose-leaver-strives-for-peak-performance\/","name":"From the lab to the gym, Devon Rose Leaver strives for peak performance | ClarkU News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/20\/from-the-lab-to-the-gym-devon-rose-leaver-strives-for-peak-performance\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/20\/from-the-lab-to-the-gym-devon-rose-leaver-strives-for-peak-performance\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/mycology-hero.jpg","datePublished":"2025-03-20T19:14:07+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-19T13:19:06+00:00","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/20\/from-the-lab-to-the-gym-devon-rose-leaver-strives-for-peak-performance\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/20\/from-the-lab-to-the-gym-devon-rose-leaver-strives-for-peak-performance\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/mycology-hero.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/mycology-hero.jpg","width":2000,"height":1125,"caption":"Devon Rose Leaver holding mushroom on a tree"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/12055#breadcrumbs","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":0,"name":"ClarkU","item":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"ClarkU News","item":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Stories","item":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-json"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Stories","item":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Stories","item":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"name":"Stories","item":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":6,"name":"Stories","item":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/12055"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/","name":"ClarkU News","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"fimg_url":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/mycology-hero-1024x576.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/12055","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/story"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/12055\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12055"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12055"},{"taxonomy":"displayed_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/displayed_author?post=12055"},{"taxonomy":"featured","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured?post=12055"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=12055"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}