Ashley Choi Found Her Collaborative Community at Charlotte
On December 13, Ashley Choi will graduate from the Klein College of Science with a bachelor’s of science, majoring in biology and minoring in biotechnology. She hopes to take the culture of collaboration she found on Charlotte’s campus with her as she diversifies her lab experience as a research technician before continuing her education.
“I love Charlotte for its community, I feel like everyone has a space here,” Choi said. “The people are so welcoming, you can find community anywhere.”
Choi grew up in Cary, North Carolina, in a close-knit and entrepreneurial family including her grandparents, parents, and brother. While Choi was active in many extracurriculars, including music, sports and art, she thrived as a member of Athens Drive High School’s color guard team.
“I just love the collaborativeness and feeling as one,” Choi reflects. “I like being able to root for other people’s success and feel like other people are also rooting for my success.”
While applying to colleges, Choi hoped to find a similar community built upon mutual support. “I wanted to meet other people and find new connections, it was a plus that the research here is also amazing,” she said.
In the lead up to freshman year, Choi participated in the University Transition Opportunities Program (UTOP), UNC Charlotte’s rigorous six-week summer program where she enjoyed completing an extra seven credits and acclimating to campus life. Choi met her best friend at UTOP, and it’s a connection that she’ll always be grateful for.
Joining the Truman Lab
Choi’s interest and talent in the sciences began in middle school, and after taking a molecular biology course in which she excelled, she solidified her path as a biology major.
In 2022, Choi joined Andrew Truman, Ph.D.’s lab, which was recently awarded a new R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Choi worked alongside the lab’s undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral researchers on understanding the Chaperone Code, the myriad of post-translational modifications that impact the function of the Hsp70 molecular chaperone.
“Research wasn’t something I was very interested in until I joined the lab,” she said. “I feel very lucky that Dr. Truman and his lab are very collaborative and supportive.”
Her current project is focused on Cdc37, a co-chaperone to Hsp70. Cdc37 is specific to the cell cycle and is important to protein folding, cell division, cell death, invasions such as viral infections, blood vessel formation, and protein stabilization, which are relevant to understanding and combating cancers and neurodegenerative diseases. Her previous research in the lab has also explored v-Src, an important driver of cancer, and the Client Code, a collection of proteins that interact with Hsp70.
From Choi’s experience, what makes UNC Charlotte stand out as a top-tier research institution is the opportunity for undergraduates to feel empowered to lead their own research projects. “When I go to these national conferences, many people assume I’m a graduate student because of how much understanding and first-hand experience I have working on these projects,” she said.
Choi has enjoyed passing on the knowledge she has gained to new researchers, and is thankful for her own mentor, Ph.D. student Megan Mitchem, for leading by example. “My mentor Megan helps me with both my scientific struggles and personal struggles,” Choi said.
In addition to her research in the Truman lab, Choi works as a Communications Consultant within the Department of Biological Sciences. She assists both the cell biology and microbiology labs by reviewing assignments and helping students improve their scientific communication skills.
Campus Involvement
As an active member of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), Choi received a 2024 SACNAS Travel Scholarship to attend her second NDiSTEM conference this year.
Seventeen UNC Charlotte students were present in Phoenix, Arizona as the chapter received the 2024 Outstanding Chapter Award for Long-Term Sustainability.
Choi has received multiple awards and funding while at UNC Charlotte, including the Office of Undergraduate Research’s Travel Award in 2024, SACNAS 2023 C.O.L.O.R. funding, and the Office of Undergraduate Research Conference’s Best Poster Award in the Science, Technology, & Engineering category in 2023.
Looking ahead
As Choi begins the interview process for lab positions after graduation, she is looking forward to continuing to seek out new challenges to diversify her skill set. “Going to different places and learning new skills is very important, I think it makes you a better researcher and a better scientist,” she said.
During her challenging personal experiences during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, she found herself as a passionate health advocate for the first time. After developing additional lab skills, she plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. dual program and continue on to work as a physician scientist.