Abigail Sipes

2021 Astronaut Scholar

Hometown

Honolulu, HI

Major

Biochemistry

College

College of Agriculture

 

Abigail Sipes received the Astronaut Scholarship in recognition of her promising undergraduate research on cell signaling and interactions, which are key to battling cancer. In addition to her work on a DOE funded project at Purdue, she laid the foundation of her cancer research at the Cancer Research Center in her home state of Hawaii.

While culturing aggressive cancer cells for months and collaborating with another lab for protein visualization, Abigail discovered something about herself: She thrives in a problem-solving environment that requires finding a missing link. “This type of problem solving,” says Abigail, “is key for cancer treatment, because each marker gives insight into a potential defect in the cell. It makes me more driven to fight cancer by developing therapies and looking for markers that can help with early detection and prevention.”

Looking toward completing a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Abigail has pursued a Graduate Certificate in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, which requires undergraduates to conduct research and submit a paper during each of at least four semesters at Purdue. In the future, Abigail would like to work at a biopharmaceutical company and see the direct impact of her research through drug development and clinical trials.