Muhlenberg athletes are spending the summer of 2025 enjoying fantastic experiences on campus, in their hometowns, and across the country.

Rising senior field hockey player Erin DiSandro, a biology major, fueled her passion for science and grew personally and professionally by doing summer research in animal development.

Have you ever wondered what controls when/how we develop from a baby to a fully grown adult? This summer I am working to answer this question in the Wightman Lab by researching the mechanisms of animal development. 

Using the microscopic nematode C. elegans as a model organism, our lab studies the genetic and environmental factors that control development. When environmental conditions are unfavorable or genetic mutations disrupt insulin signaling, C. elegans will go into developmental arrest and halt their growth until conditions are favorable again.

My project this summer focuses on the effects of developmental arrest and if it is harmful for our model organism in terms of stress, reproduction, and survival. 

Seeking to nurture my passion for science, I joined the Wightman Lab in the fall after taking Genetics with Dr. Wightman the previous semester. From starting in the fall to now spending eight weeks in the lab this summer, I have developed a passion for the process of research inquiry and have grown both intellectually and personally. Under the guidance of Dr. Wightman, I have the independence to run experiments on my own and collect and analyze my own data.

Although many of my experiments do not always go as planned, persevering through frustrations and failed experiments to eventually get successful data is immensely rewarding and one of my favorite aspects of doing research. 

Engaging in research this summer has also allowed me to develop deeper relationships with my professors and with the Muhlenberg community as a whole. Each Friday, the summer research students gather together to listen to different labs present their research. Learning about what each lab is doing and getting to know new students and professors has created a close-knit community here on campus even in the quiet months of summer.

As I look forward to hopefully attending medical school in the future, my summer research experience has also prepared me professionally. Through collaborating with students and professors, working through frustrations with experiments, and strengthening my understanding of genetics and molecular biology, partaking in summer research has been integral to my intellectual and personal preparation for a potential career in medicine. 

Summer research at Muhlenberg has been not only interesting and invaluable in preparing me for my future, but also rewarding and enjoyable, and I would highly recommend it to any Muhlenberg student!

Note: DiSandro's former field hockey teammate, Erin Jackson '25, conducted similar research last summer and recently accompanied Dr. Wightman and other Muhlenberg students to California to present at the 2025 International C. elegans Conference.

Doing something interesting this summer? Fill out this form to be included in our Summer Check-In series!