Paul Heaton - Undergraduate Researcher

I am an undergraduate researcher majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology. I joined the lab in January of 2016. In the lab, I will be using gene editing technology to mutate the template domain of the telomerase RNA in Arabidopsis thaliana. The goal of my project is to develop a telomerase deficient line suitable for future studies of telomerase activity in plants

Outside of lab, I am a founding father of a new fraternity that will be coming to the University of Arizona in the next year. This fraternity, Theta Delta Chi (TDX), works with a group called Autism Speaks, which raises awareness for autism, helps families identify early warning signs as well as helps families find treatment options available. We will work more extensively with a program, known as BrosUniteD (BUD). This program gives fraternity members the chance to offer positive social experiences to teenage boys with autism, while participating in exciting activities such as hiking, bowling, ice skating and rock-wall climbing. Outside of the fraternity, I enjoy the outdoors, playing sports ranging from basketball to badminton, and absolutely love snowboarding. I also enjoy movies, video games, music, and have just recently been pushing myself to take more risks.

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