Student Experience
Life Beyond the Redwoods: Ciara Bolt at UC San Francisco and Natera
One year after graduating from UC Santa Cruz, Ciara Bolt (Kresge ’24, molecular, cell and developmental biology) worked as a Junior Specialist in the Sil Lab at UC San Francisco and now holds a position as a research associate at Natera, a global leader in cell-free DNA testing, dedicated to oncology, women’s health, and organ health.
Ciara Bolt (Kresge ’24, molecular, cell and developmental biology)
Ciara Bolt (Kresge ’24, molecular, cell and developmental biology) transferred to UC Santa Cruz from Cabrillo College in fall 2022, bringing with them a strong foundation that boosted their confidence to thrive. At UC Santa Cruz, they built on that foundation, gaining the skills and experience needed to secure laboratory positions after graduation.
“UCSC greatly prepared me for my career path,” Bolt said. “The classes I took and the research I participated in during my undergraduate career helped me immensely in understanding what I wanted to do after graduating.”
From Dec. 2024 to April 2025, Bolt worked as a Junior Specialist in the Sil Lab at UC San Francisco. At the Sil Lab, Bolt worked with thermally dimorphic fungi Histoplasma capsulatum, which can cause histoplasmosis in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals. Being thermally dimorphic, the fungi exists as yeast at human body temperature (37˚C) and hyphae at room temperature (22˚C).
“We examined the role of RNA in the switch between morphological states, evaluating how the transcriptome changes,” Bolt said. “Most recently, we performed a time course shifting yeast cells from 37˚C to 22˚C and assessed how specific transcripts are alternatively spliced across multiple time points.”
As of June, Bolt works as a research associate at Natera, a global leader in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) testing, dedicated to oncology, women’s health, and organ health.
“While I may be very new to the company, I am extremely excited to contribute to such an amazing cause that really impacts patient lives,” Bolt said. “I think that is my favorite thing about my job—knowing that I can and have made an impact in a positive way.”
Bolt (Kresge ’24, molecular, cell and developmental biology) credits their time at UC Santa Cruz with providing invaluable hands-on experience in a laboratory setting, which deepened their love for biology and helped transform that passion into a fulfilling career.
“I had always known I liked biology, but UC Santa Cruz gave me the tools to understand what biology looks like in a laboratory environment,” Bolt said. “I was able to perform experiments I never thought possible and contribute to a project that really pushed my understanding of the material I was learning in my classes.”
As an undergraduate researcher in the Ward Lab at UC Santa Cruz, Bolt was selected to work on a project focused on an uncharacterized gene involved in spermatogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans. They studied spe-54, a predicted phosphatase or pseudophosphatase, to better understand its role in the reproductive pathway. Bolt’s work helped bring credence to the hypothesis that disruptions in the gene spe-54 led to severe age dependent fertility declines, suggesting its critical role in spermatogenesis. The project was part of the DREAM Team (Developing Researchers, Educators, and Mentors), a program designed to provide transfer students with meaningful research opportunities—an experience Bolt remains deeply grateful for.
“I am forever grateful that I was given the chance to succeed at something I once thought would not be possible for me,” Bolt said. “Many thanks to Jordan Ward and the entirety of the Ward Lab team for all your support through the years, and thank you to the Sil Lab and Natera for giving me the opportunity to continue my career in science!”
Looking forward in their career, Bolt plans to move closer to the biotechnology industry.
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