My name is Mika Wesley, and this summer I am participating in the Arcadia Abroad program in Dublin, Ireland. I am a rising senior at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in Molecular Biology and Gender/Sexuality/Women’s studies with minors in Chemistry and French. I have just arrived yesterday and am staying at University College Dublin’s campus. Below is a photo of the campus from the building I am staying in.

I chose this program because I wanted to opportunity to both live abroad and work as a researcher. Over the summer, I will be working in Dr. Jeremy Simpson’s biomedical lab. I will study the role and interactions of the protein Rab33B. Mutations in this protein have been linked to Smith-McCort dysplasia, a genetic skeletal disease. As a molecular biology major looking to pursue a Ph.D. and a career in biomedical research after graduating from Pitt, adjusting to a new lab, pursuing a new topic, learning new experimental skills, and progressing in that lab over two months will help prepare me for my future. I’ve only ever worked in one research lab. While I love working there when I’m in Pittsburgh, gaining experience with a new research question will help me learn a lot about biology as well as what I want to do in the future, such as what topic I want to focus on when getting my Ph.D. in the upcoming years.

Furthermore, I’ve never been abroad for such an extended period of time. I have only ever lived within the state of Pennsylvania. I am excited to get to know a new culture and country like Ireland. So far in the time I’ve been here, I’ve walked around the city of Dublin, seen sites like Dublin Castle and statues in St. Stephen’s Green, and watched some Gaelic Games. It has also been great to get to know the other students in the program. I’ve loved the sense of community I’ve gotten from my peers, the Irish people I’ve met, and the traditions I’ve learned about. I’m looking forward to learning more and meeting new people. Below is a picture from Dublin.

I hope to use my opportunity in Dublin to visit other places around Ireland and Europe while I’m here for the summer. This upcoming weekend I plan to visit Howth, an Irish village with beautiful sea cliffs. I also want to spend some weekends visiting other countries around Europe.