This is one in a series of stories about alumni of the Nexus Scholars Program.
Blythe Wong ’25
Biological Sciences
Cohort: Summer 2023
As a Nexus Scholar in the 2023 cohort, Blythe Wong ‘25 worked with Ben Sandkam, assistant professor of neurobiology and behavior. As a biology major with a concentration in microbiology, Wong was drawn to the program as it was designed to support students new to research.
During the summer, she investigated the genetics of the guppy species Poecilia parae, measuring androgen receptor expression across different Poecilia parae morphs. The project sparked a lasting interest in genetics research, and Wong remained in the lab after Nexus to expand the work into her honors thesis, where she was the first to experimentally characterize a gene in P. parae beyond annotation.
One of the greatest transitions for Wong was learning what independent research actually looked like. She quickly discovered that unlike structured laboratory courses, research required step-by-step independent design, from planning experiments to ordering reagents and designing primers.
During her honors thesis, she faced the additional challenge of studying a gene that had not been identified within the genome. She had to use sequences of similar genomes in closely related organisms to guide the identification of her target gene in P. paraem, then compared copies of the gene across individual P. parae genomes to build a consensus sequence. Using that consensus sequence, she then designed probes for further analysis.
“I think what I really liked about my thesis was that it was very preliminary work”, Wong remarked. Although the process was often daunting due to the lack of prior research, she found the breakthroughs especially rewarding. By the end of her project, Wong had completed the first genomic and expression analysis of her target gene in P. parae, creating a foundation for future lab ventures.
Today, Wong works as a research assistant in a Hepatitis E virus laboratory at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), where she is building her technical skills before applying to Ph.D. programs. She hopes to pursue research in viral genetics, particularly in RNA viruses, where she can combine her interest in both microbiology and genetics.
Reflecting on her experience, Wong encourages current Nexus Scholars to view the program as the beginning of their research journey. She credits much of her own growth and the independence she gained in her lab to Nexus and emphasizes the importance of advocating for yourself to faculty mentors.
“If you don’t ask for it, they won’t know how much more you want to do, “ she said, explaining that communicating her goals allowed her to take ownership of her project and eventually continue to work through her honors thesis. Wong also reminds students to not worry if their research is not complete before the capstone presentation, emphasizing that participating in summer research is already an accomplishment in itself.
Beyond the research itself, Wong treasures the friendships that she was able to form within the program. “Through Nexus, I met three other girls and we became a little group,” she said. What originally began as a hot pot dinner grew into long lasting friendships, making her summer as a Nexus scholar memorable both inside and outside of the lab.
