Apr 10, 2025

Graduating senior reflects on undergraduate research experiences at Penn State

Maria Lovallo is a Penn State undergrad from Spring Mills, PA, majoring in Microbiology with a minor in Plant Pathology & Environmental Microbiology. She is also a teaching assistant in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and a member of the Huck Institutes’ One Health Microbiome Center.

Under the mentorship of Claire Thomas, associate professor of biology and of biochemistry and molecular biology, and Emily Davenport, assistant professor of biology, Lovallo leads a project focusing on investigating the effects of the microbiome on flight physiology in the commonly studied fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. She is looking for variations in flight endurance or acute flight response that are caused by changes in microbiome composition and hopes to integrate those observations with any observed changes in the metabolic activity of flight muscles.

“Maria has shown true leadership by building up this new collaborative project between the Thomas and Davenport labs,” said Davenport. “She's led every part of the process, from hypothesis generation, to protocol writing, to experimental troubleshooting. She has trained up new generations of students to contribute to the project as well.”

“Maria has done a fabulous job in the lab,” added Thomas. “Not only has she learned and helped develop complex experimental procedures, but she took on a leadership role among the team of undergraduates assigned to this project demonstrating that she is an adept mentor too.”

Lovallo’s journey with One Health Microbiome Center began at a summer kickstart workshop, where she first learned the fundamentals of R programming and sequencing analysis. That experience sparked a lasting involvement. She has been attending seminars, networking events, and even presented her research in a lightning talk.

Lovallo said the most significant aspect of her research experience at Penn State is the network she has built. “Science truly is a community,” she said. “Research is never conducted alone, and I’ve made connections to different PIs, labs, and organizations, especially the OHMC, throughout the development of my project. I’ve also come to deeply appreciate the role of a mentor in science. I’ve received fantastic guidance from my PIs and have had the opportunity to train others on my project as well.”

Lovallo also highlighted the importance of hands-on experience. “A lot of the material I was

taught in courses, I had already gained prior experience with through my work in the lab,” she said. “Research shaped my thinking as a scientist, allowing me to come up with my own

questions and theories about the work I do.”

In addition to her research accomplishments, Lovallo is an advocate for early undergraduate involvement in science. She said entering research during her first year at Penn State was intimidating at first - but transformative.

“If I had any advice to give to those looking to enter research as an undergraduate, it would be to immerse yourself in the experience and be unafraid to ask questions! It’s all a learning curve,” Lovallo explained. “The OHMC is a great way to connect to PI’s and take that first step into research.”

After graduating in Spring of 2025, Lovallo will be pursuing her PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology with a focus on Microbiology at the University of Connecticut. Her long-term goal is to build a career in academia, balancing her own research with mentoring and teaching.