Isaac Perkins, a senior biology major, will present his research at Health Careers Day on November 8, 2024. Isaac Perkins is a dedicated senior majoring in biology at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), with the goal of becoming a physician. Originally from Brookville, Indiana, Perkins moved to Tennessee during his senior year of high school. When it came time to choose a university, he sought a school close to his family and one that offered a strong biology program. Perkins ultimately decided on UAH after speaking with the Office of Pre-Health Professions Advising. “After touring UAH and talking with the Pre-health office about all the resources they have available for students, I realized UAH was the right fit,” he says. In addition to being a full-time student in the College of Science, Perkins also serves as the Vice-President of Community Health for the Pre-health Society, a student organization at UAH. In this role, he oversees initiatives focused on community and rural health. “I chose to take on a leadership position for the Pre-health Society because I know firsthand how stressful being a pre-health student is.” Perkins explains students enrolled in pre-health often face demanding schedules. “With challenging coursework, getting hours volunteering and shadowing hours in, participating in research, preparing for entrance exams, and a daunting application cycle, the life of a pre-health student can be overwhelming and also isolating. One of the things that I wanted to do was build a sense of community that would promote collaboration among pre-health students.”His own experience over the years has equipped him with insights about the medical school application process and the healthcare field. Perkins says he wants to pay it forward, share his knowledge and resources with others, and create more opportunities for other students. “We're fortunate to have fantastic leadership in the Pre-health Society who have put in a lot of work to kick off our first semester, and I'm excited to see the organization continue to grow.”Perkins also values the opportunity to engage in research at UAH, and is eager to speak on his experience with research at the Health Careers Day on November 8, 2024. He works as an undergraduate research assistant in the Kraemer Laboratory, where he studies neurotrophin signaling in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's Disease. Much of his research involves optimizing methods for creating in vivo models of Parkinson's, a task that requires using a variety of laboratory techniques including western blots, stereotaxic surgery, and immunohistochemistry. During Health Careers Day, Perkins will be on-hand to talk about his research, answer questions students may have, and talk about his experience at UAH. Looking ahead, his goal is to become a physician, even though he doesn’t have a speciality selected yet. “I'm just trying to get into a school before I make any decisions. But what I do know is that I want to be able to serve and give back to the community around me.”