By: Cameron Maruszewski, Class of 2023
I graduated from Honors in May of 2023, and if I had to pick what I’m most thankful for (I hope I never have to pick), it would be that Honors ignited my love for research. During my Welcome Week in 2019, I was fortunate enough to see a panel on research, where a then-current Honors student, Xander Tielemans (Class of 2020), was speaking. Instantly, I was excited for the thesis process and getting to conduct research of my own. That excitement carried me all the way to getting my master’s degree in forensic psychology. Xander is currently getting a PhD in neuroscience at Mount Sinai. Being two alumni of the Honors college, both actively pursuing careers in research, Xander and I sat down for an interview.
Did you always know you wanted to do research as a career?
Xander: No. Not until end of junior year, maybe beginning of senior year.
What were your majors and minors at Pace?
Xander: I majored in psychology because at the time I wanted to do pre-med and was interested in psychiatry. First, I actually majored in political science. Then, when I realized I wanted to do biology research, it was too late to switch my major, so I added a bunch of minors. Ultimately, I majored in psychology, minored in chemistry, biology, and neuroscience.
What was your Honors experience like in general?
Xander: It was great. When someone goes to Pace, my first question is always “are you in Honors?” It made my time at Pace worthwhile. I think I would have enjoyed school significantly less if it weren’t for Honors. It gave [me] a home within school, and I knew where to go for everything.
How did you get involved in research and around what time in your undergrad?
Xander: End of junior year. My professor gave me a project, which I presented at the [Dyson] Society of Fellows. I was doing a lot with propolis, or “bee glue,” where I got samples to analyze for antioxidant activity. People use propolis as a nutraceutical because of the antioxidants within, but since they’re so variable in content and potency, there’s a lot of interest in seeing what goes into different sources of it. This became [the topic of] my Honors thesis.
How was Honors helpful in the process?
Xander: Because of Covid, it was a really challenging process. I had trouble getting data from the computer because the campus had closed down. The most valuable support came from the Honors staff. [Honors Thesis Advisor] Lindsey Lee was very helpful with ideas, meetings, and formatting, even giving extensions when needed. [Honors Associate Director] Mohini Gobin was also always there when everything felt like it was crashing.
What were your favorite parts of doing research at Pace/working on your thesis?
Xander: In hindsight, the process of actually trying to keep track of so many things. We had a lot of samples, so we had to keep track of where they were from and how to process them, and which data points corresponded to which sample. I liked making sense of the data. Some of the presenting days were fun; I always liked presenting posters. I also enjoyed quiet days at the lab, where everything else seems to disappear. It was very relaxing.
What were the most challenging parts?
Xander: Writing it. Figuring out what it meant. Sometimes I would get frustrated because what if what we were doing didn’t have broader implications? Realizing the ways we could have made it better once it was done, that part really sucked. It was hard to wrap my head around it especially because I couldn’t go to the lab to finish due to Covid.
What qualities do you think are necessary in doing research?
Xander: Being excited enough about what you’re doing that when it doesn’t work, it’s fine. I’ve spent so much time working on experiments that just don’t work and it just happens like that, so it’s important to love what you’re doing. It feels more like a hobby.
Did you go into your PhD straight after finishing undergrad?
Xander: First, I did a master’s in biomedical science at Mount Sinai. It was a 2-year program.
What’s your PhD experience like so far?
Xander: Exciting! I get paid, so I’m not skipping meals. Knowing I’m going to be here so long has given me the chance to take on a project that I want to [have] ownership over. It feels like everything is possible to do. You can do a lot with research in your PhD. Some of it is genuinely fun, like electrophysiology and some imaging techniques. I don’t get tired of them. I love the techniques I get to do. You can get excited about things and study them in detail.
What research are you currently doing?
Xander: My lab looks at non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease. I study receptor trafficking pathways within relevant circuits.
What’s your advice for first year students who want to go into research?
Xander: Find a lab outside of Pace to get a more varied experience. If Pace doesn’t have what you want to do, you can go elsewhere for experience in the lab. For me at least, I didn’t have a grasp on so much of this stuff until the end of my junior year. You start getting to know the fields, and that’s the point where exploring the research really matters. I had no clue what any of it was for so long. Early exposure, find a lab where you can shadow people. A lot of people are really happy to talk to undergrads.