Monday, October 27, 2025

Meet a Ph.D. Student: Sayema Naaz

Sayema Naaz

Hometown: Asansol, West Bengal, India

Previous education: B.S. in microbiology, Kazi Nazrul University, India; and M.S. in microbiology, University of Calcutta, India

BMS program track and year of study: Biomedical Engineering and Bioinformatics, fourth year

Faculty mentor: Glen Borchert, Ph.D.

Current research: My project deals with understanding the role of non-coding RNAs and proteins in Salmonella stress response, particularly how they contribute to persistence and chronic infection. In addition, I also study Salmonella outer membrane vesicles to characterize their contents and identify factors secreted following P22 bacteriophage infection.

What do you enjoy most about being a graduate student at the Whiddon COM?
I really appreciate that people here at the College of Medicine are genuinely supportive and always willing to help one another, creating a collaborative and encouraging environment.

Interests and hobbies: My hobbies include reading, listening to music, playing badminton and watching anime.