During the pandemic, Alixs Pujols ’24 read an article that inspired her to become an undergraduate research assistant at the Laboratory of Endocrine Disruption & Chemical Biology (EDC Lab). That article showed how researchers had found nanoplastics in the placenta, which caught Pujols’ attention. Funded by the Undergraduate Research and Innovation (URI) Fellowship, Pujols investigated the effects of nanoplastics on ovarian function by measuring their hormone levels. Her studies focused on preconception. Pujols’ work aims to measure how hormones behave before a woman decides to get pregnant.
Pujols, a forensic science major, believes her experience this summer will equip her as she prepares to take future steps with her career. “I think that it was mainly working in a real lab with real samples that are teaching me and helping my growth because I do not just want to be working in a forensic lab,” she said. To read the full story.