Mackenzie Pavlik ’23 has always been interested in science and enjoys learning how and why processes occur. She wants to use her passion for science, especially forensics, to make the world a better place.

Interested in toxicology, Pavlik took a toxicology course last fall with Robert Powers, Ph.D., F-ABFT, associate professor of forensic medicine. The course furthered her interest, so she approached Dr. Powers to discuss possible research opportunities, including one that she could participate in as part of her honorary dissertation.

Dr. Powers introduced Pavlik to Abby Veeser ’23 MS, a candidate for the university’s forensic graduate program. They are now collaborating, and Pavlik describes her project as “a small piece of Abby’s dissertation” and spent much of the summer working on the project as part of the university’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. spent.

“I’ve really enjoyed my experience at SURF so far,” said Pavlik, a forensic major who plans to pursue a master’s degree in chemistry as part of the university’s 4+1 program. “The most important thing I learned from here is that I really love research. Working with Abby and Dr. Powers, I’ve also learned a lot about what it’s like to be an expert in the field and what graduate school is like.”

“We bounce ideas off each other”

As part of her work, Pavlik performs enzymatic assays. Veeser’s paper focuses on a drug test that reveals trace levels of methamphetamine in individuals taking amphetamines as a treatment for ADHD.

“This can be interpreted as ‘methamphetamine abuse,’ which can have significant adverse effects on patients,” explains Veeser. “We want to learn about the toxicological aspects of certain cases that can make a difference in a person’s life. The goal is to prevent children from being separated from their parents through the metabolic pathways of our bodies.

Like Pavlik, Veeser has always been interested in science. Growing up her parents both worked in the criminal justice system and she wanted to pursue her science career. After completing her master’s degree, she hopes to gain her experience in this field and pursue a doctorate in biochemistry. I enjoy working.

“Working with Mackenzie this summer has been amazing,” she said. “If something goes wrong on the research side of our project, we throw ideas at each other. I learn a lot from her.

“Toxicology is exactly my passion.”

They shared a particularly exciting opportunity to learn and collaborate together in the lab when they began using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) instruments to obtain promiscuous measurements. After adjusting different settings, I realized that there was a problem with the GC-MS source, where the ions were generated. It can oxidize over time, which can eventually affect your readings.

Needing equipment to advance their research, Pavlik and Veeser tackled the problem themselves. They took the instrument apart, polished the parts with zinc oxide, and rinsed them with methanol to remove any residue. Then I reassembled the sauce. This included many small pieces that needed to be put back together in exactly the right way.

“Cleaning a GC-MS was a great opportunity for us because not many people are taught how to do this while doing research,” explains Veeser. “I used to look at this process as a ‘life skill. Because in the future, you will be able to step forward and say that you have learned how to clean. It can be a tedious and lengthy process at times, so it was fulfilling to undo it and see great results. ”

Pavlik, who also hopes to pursue a PhD in biochemistry, says working with Veeser and Dr. Powers has been an invaluable learning experience. The time she spent in her lab with them helped her envision the career path she wanted to pursue.

“It was interesting to hear about the different cases Dr. Powers has worked on and hear more about what it’s like to be a forensic toxicologist,” she said. I learned that toxicology is really what I’m passionate about and that’s what I want to spend my life with.