Fran Raycroft ’07 spent the summer in the lab of Notre Dame Professor David Hyde (far right in photo), whose research on the zebrafish retina —which can regenerate itself—may someday lead to cures for human eye ailments. Working alongside Raycroft was Ph.D. candidate Shane Fimbel ’02 (left), while Fran’s big brother, Maury ’02, was doing research just down the hall.
"My internship with Dr. Hyde solidified my feelings toward pursuing a career in science, gave me insight into what it would be like to be a graduate student and what it would take to succeed." Raycroft says. He was surprised at how integrated the sciences and different projects were at the lab, and how important collaboration was to each project.
"There were six different aspects of research on zebrafish regeneration going on in our lab, and every week we all met to discuss our progress," he says. "It was during these meetings that our research would come together and really make sense. It’s amazing how something as complex as tissue regeneration can be broken down into simpler tasks, studied at microscopic levels, and then brought together to provide a better picture with at least fewer questions left unanswered."
Below: Wabash at Notre Dame—Fran Raycroft, Shane Fimbel, and Maury Raycroft take a break in front of one of Notre Dame's best-known landmarks.
