Exaucee Kandolo

I am a double major student studying nursing and biology at the same time

Student, Biology

Tell us a little about yourself and your research project.

I am a double major student studying nursing and biology at the same time. I’ve always wanted to do research but did not know how to start. SPARC-4 was a breakthrough for me when it came to research. I’m now on my second semester of research. My project is “Evolution of K13 resistance in African Plasmodium falciparum.”

How did you first find out about undergraduate research opportunities at UNC Charlotte?

I heard about research opportunities from one of my science professors. He was the one who guided me on what research here at UNC Charlotte was. He taught me what to do in order to get started with undergraduate research.

How has your research experience prepared you for your next goals or career?

I feel like getting research experience as an undergraduate student has prepared me for graduate school. I am planning on getting my master’s of science in biology in the upcoming months or years.

What advice would you give students who are interested in pursuing undergraduate research and what would you say to a student who says, “research is not for me”?

It is not impossible to start doing research as an undergraduate. You have to not only be hard working student, but also be active in your classes. Attend office hours to become familiar with professors, they are the ones who will recommend you or even allow you to do research in their labs. There is no way of knowing whether research is for you or not. You have to try it to know for sure. My guess is you will fall in love with it like I did. Research is an awesome experience for an undergraduate student, in my opinion.

What is one thing that you learned about yourself from this research experience?

I learned that at the beginning, things are not so easy. However, as you keep going,  they’ll get easier. Doing research is like learning how to ride a bike at first, it’s hard but it gets easier. I learned that I should never be discouraged when things are not so easy at first. It gets easier. I learned that to get results, it requires dedication!