Jessica Park: "Berkeley has taught me to love research"

April 28, 2025

Jessica Patrick, one of three Harris Fellows in 2024, is a senior at UC Berkeley studying cognitive science and molecular and cell biology (MCB). Created by the estate of Professor Emeritus of Molecular and Cell Biology Morgan Harris, the Harris Research Discovery Program provides opportunities for MCB undergraduate students to develop robust research skills. Three of the students in the program were selected to be Harris Fellows over the summer of 2024, and later this spring, the 2025 Harris Fellows will be chosen. Fellows work in research labs while developing their honors theses and receiving a stipend. Patrick shared her college journey with UC Berkeley writer Julia Ebrahimi and the impact being a Harris Fellow has had on her life.

Why did you choose UC Berkeley?

Growing up, I was always interested in science. After high school, I attended Temple University in Philadelphia, but I found the classes slow, and I was eager to learn more complex topics than the general education curriculum would allow. On top of that, I could not afford the cost of living and tuition.

My father died when I was eight, and my homemaking mother had no job experience, so I had no money set aside for a college education. Financial aid and a part-time job were barely enough to pay rent each month while still accruing $10,000 in student loan debt each semester. Midway through my second semester, my mother was diagnosed with cancer, and I dropped out to work full-time and support her. A year later, she was in remission, and I had little hope of finishing college. My California-born and bred partner of four years missed the West Coast and wanted to return, so we packed up and drove to Los Angeles, where I got a job working as a medical assistant in a surgeon’s office.

While working there, the doctors encouraged me not to give up on my education. Being financially stable for the first time in my life, I enrolled in Glendale Community College, taking classes at night while working full-time. Three years after arriving in Los Angeles, we packed up again and headed to Berkeley. Berkeley was everything I dreamed of as a child. My academic confidence was low, but I was excited about the prospect of thought-provoking classes. Entering my fourth semester at Berkeley, I am proud to have a 4.0 GPA, and I know that I made the right choice coming to Berkeley, a place that has challenged me to grow into a better student and person.

What does it mean to you to have gone through the Harris Research Discovery Program and be chosen as one of three Harris Fellows assigned to work in laboratories last summer?

Participating in the Harris Research Discovery Program has been one of the best experiences during my time here at Berkeley. This program allowed me to not only gain experience in wet lab techniques and skills but also raise my confidence in my own abilities and capacity for scientific curiosity. Being chosen as a Harris Fellow has enabled me to work full-time in the lab to learn new skills and develop the independence necessary to pursue an honors thesis.

What did your summer research look like?

After participating in the Research Preparation Program, I found a position as an undergraduate assistant in the Martik Lab, which focuses on studying an early cell population in vertebrates called the neural crest. I am working under a postdoctoral researcher, Lara Busby, to investigate how this cell population has evolved over time to give rise to diverse craniofacial structures, specifically the jaw. This summer, I investigated this question by visualizing the spatiotemporal expression of key genes known to be important to the neural crest and its surrounding tissues in lamprey, an ancient jawless vertebrate, and comparing it with the expression in jawed vertebrates.

Were there any important connections you created through your time with the Harris Research Discovery Program or as a Harris Fellow with peers or mentors?

I developed multiple invaluable relationships through the Harris Research Discovery Program, both with my peers, whom I still see often, discussing our respective research projects, and with the mentors who taught me throughout the program and have continued to be a great resource for me. Coming from a family where no one has a scientific career or any experience with research and the process of getting a Ph.D., having these connections has been so incredibly important to my development as a scientist and has made me feel at home in the research community.

Is there an extracurricular activity you’re involved in that especially excites you?

My main non-research extracurricular is Undergraduate Street Medicine Outreach, which focuses on distributing food and medical supplies to local homeless encampments in Berkeley and Oakland. For me, the most important part of this work is getting to have conversations with the residents of the encampments. Hearing their stories, laughing with them, crying with them, and sharing their hopes, triumphs, and failures have grounded me throughout my time at Berkeley. The work I do through this club is incredibly meaningful to me, allowing me to give back and help others achieve their potential the way I have been helped to achieve mine.

What are your future or post-graduation plans and goals?

Berkeley has taught me to love research. Some areas that currently interest me are immunology, microbiology, and mycology. That said, I am always learning about new ideas and technologies, and I expect that my interests will evolve in the future. I plan to apply to M.D./Ph.D. programs following graduation. In the meantime, I hope to take a gap year or two to use my Bachelor of Science in cognitive science and molecular and cell biology to study diseases, learn about the mechanisms behind their function, and contribute toward efforts to ameliorate those causing the most harm. Although I have applied to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) post-baccalaureate program and other similar research-focused programs, the current political climate towards research and the government’s massive layoffs and funding cuts have affected my ability to obtain a position. Similar programs have also had funding cuts or have been closed entirely, and many universities are enacting hiring freezes. Regardless, I still want to pursue a career in research, and I am working to find a position that is right for me.

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