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Russell Sage College students Elizabeth Hoyt, Daniel Kagan, and Wallace Tonks — all Biology majors in their senior year — joined prestigious research labs for summer 2025.
Elizabeth Hoyt contributed to research on the mechanical properties of blood clots in a cellular bioengineering lab at Rutgers University through the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergraduates program. Her work focused on how certain proteins affect clotting, with implications for preventing strokes and other serious medical events.
Pre-med student Daniel Kagan was an intern in a Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics lab at Albany Medical College. Kagan has been part of a team researching the mTOR gene, which controls how cells grow, use energy, and survive. The lab is investigating how turning this gene on or off affects the brain, especially in conditions linked to seizures and epilepsy. He’ll remain part of the lab for the fall 2025 semester.
Wallace Tonks joined the Microplastics Laboratory at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the summer and will continue to serve as a research assistant this academic year. The lab is monitoring microplastic and microfiber pollutants in the Hudson River and its tributaries to identify pollution hotspots and help lead discussion on ways to mitigate microplastic contamination in waterways.
All three students say their research experiences will help them stand out as they apply to competitive doctoral programs. Kagan plans to apply to medical school and become a physician specializing in neurology, combining research and patient care. Hoyt will pursue a doctorate in cellular and molecular biology with a focus on cancer research, and Tonks will earn a master’s in arctic biogeochemistry and microbial ecology on the way to a Ph.D. and a career in arctic research.