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Lauren Peltier based her decision to come to Ohio State to pursue a degree in molecular genetics largely on the university’s size and the many hospital and research opportunities available.

“Ohio State had so many more opportunities,” she said. “I want to go to medical school, and I’ve been able to get involved volunteering in the medical center.”

For her Pelotonia-funded research project, Peltier is studying the trafficking of tRNA, molecules that help in synthesizing protein. Certain tRNAs have been shown to be involved in the proliferation of cancer cells and in tumor growth. She hopes her findings will shed light on how altering the levels of proteins in the cell could have an effect on regulating cell growth.

Her experience working in the lab has taught Peltier much about not just cell biology but also the latest findings in the fields of biology and genetics. She stays up to date during weekly lab meetings where fellow researchers present their own research or share topical information. She recently learned about another lab doing similar tRNA work and has reached out to try to partner with them.

That kind of collaborative information-sharing environment is exactly what the Pelotonia fellowship program hopes to cultivate, said Director Rosa Lapalombella. “It’s really about bringing people together from many different areas of expertise for one goal: finding a cure or improving the lives of people with cancer.”