Sarah Xia (College Nine ’23, biomolecular engineering and bioinformatics) found her passion for genomics at UC Santa Cruz. Now, a year after earning her B.S. in biomolecular engineering and bioinformatics, Xia is a research associate at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
As a research associate in Professor Jesse Engreitz’s lab, Xia’s research focuses on studying how genes are regulated in the human genome to better understand the genetic mechanisms underlying various heart diseases. She collaborates with a team to develop new technology designed to study the effects of different DNA variants. Xia says that some experiments can take several months to complete from start to finish and can involve up to 300 million cells at once.
“From carrying out the molecular biology experiments in the lab to computational analysis of the generated data, I really get to do a little bit of everything and I love that I get to be involved in all phases of a project”, Xia says.
Her favorite part about her job is continuing to learn and grow.
“Last year, even though I was so excited to graduate, part of me grieved the idea of leaving college because I thought that meant I wouldn’t have the opportunity to learn anymore,” Xia said. “ A year later, I realized that learning doesn’t end with graduation, but is rather the start of a lifelong journey of continuous growth.”
At UC Santa Cruz, Xia was a member of various campus organizations including The Genomics Institute Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, the UCSC Dance Team, and was a Baskin Engineering Peer Advisor. She was also a choreographer and performer in UCSC Theater Art’s annual dance production, Random with a Purpose.
“I feel really fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in dance and the performing arts while simultaneously being heavily involved in the STEM side of UCSC as well. I’m just one of many students who have found ways to combine the arts with science at UCSC and I think it highlights just how diverse the student body in Santa Cruz can be!”
On top of her organizational endeavors, Xia worked as an undergraduate researcher within the UCSC Genomics Institute in the Salama-Haussler lab. She collaborated on the cross-institutional Braingeneers project aimed to better understand the genetics and architecture of the human brain using cerebral organoid models.
In the future, Xia hopes to pursue a Ph.D. She is grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in research opportunities before making her decision on her next educational milestone.
“I feel beyond fortunate and humbled to be at a place like Stanford surrounded by and learning from some of the leading scientists in the field. It’s an incredibly collaborative and inspiring environment where everyone is encouraged to learn from and teach one another. My experience so far has really taught me the value of positive mentorship and how important it is to surround yourself with a strong and supportive community that can help you succeed.”
Read more about the Class of 2023 and their lives beyond the UCSC redwoods.
