Christine Wei Receives the 2022-23 Anteaters in Pharmacy Alumni Scholarship
Christine Wei is the 2022-23 recipient of the Anteaters in Pharmacy Alumni Scholarship, awarded to current students completing a Bachelor of Science in pharmaceutical sciences at UC Irvine.
Anteaters in Pharmacy, the UCI School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences alumni chapter, established this student scholarship as a way for alumni and friends of the school to give back to current undergraduate students, highlighting the importance of educating our next generation of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists.
“As the Anteaters in Pharmacy Alumni Chapter, our mission is to connect and engage alumni involved in the field of pharmaceutical sciences and services, to establish a lifelong community dedicated to the dispensing of knowledge, and to promote the legacy of excellence and advancement of UC Irvine,” says Meredith Kwok, director of alumni relations.
Thanks to the generosity of donors, funds are raised to assist undergraduate students that stand out as members of the new generation of healthcare leaders to accelerate scientific, clinical, and educational innovations.
Christine Wei is a fourth-year, first-generation pharmaceutical sciences student at the UCI School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Before college, Wei had navigated previous health problems and numerous hospital visits that gave her an appreciation of drug development and the advancement of technology; it led her to the pharmaceutical sciences major.
“I want to contribute to the development of novel and more innovative solutions to human diseases,” Wei said. “I am specifically interested in therapeutic delivery and gene therapy.”
Since becoming a UCI Anteater, Wei has been involved on and off campus to further her career interests, including research in multiple labs, fellowships, and student organizations.
Wei is a peer mentor in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Mentorship Program and has mentored seven students in two years. She is also the public relations chair for the BioSci International Student Association (BISA) at UCI. She aims to promote undergraduate research culture and aid international students with resources and connections. She is currently serving as a student ambassador for the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) and is the head learning assistant for the honors and majors general chemistry labs under the supervision of Kimberly Edwards, professor of teaching in chemistry.
Wei began her research journey in the lab of Weian Zhao, professor of pharmaceutical sciences, at UCI during her second year to take part in the development of a multi-omics spatial analysis technology to advance the understanding of biological processes and disease progression in the spatial context. Since then, she has worked on various projects focusing on RNA and protein detection in clinical tumor tissues, which is critical for cancer diagnosis and prognosis.
“As I gained numerous insights into spatial biology and, in particular, its significance in probing the tumor immune microenvironment, I began to wonder how we can utilize the new knowledge we have obtained to devise novel alternatives to conventional cancer therapies,” says Wei. “Being impressed by the rapid growth of immunotherapy as well as the innovative development of the mRNA vaccines against COVID-19, I have found myself growing more and more curious about the field of therapeutic engineering. As an explorer in science and life, I look forward to immersing myself in new environments and fields.”
In the summer of 2022, Wei was awarded a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) fellowship to conduct full-time research on nanomedicine and gene delivery in the lab of Hai-Quan Mao, director of the Institute of NanoBioTechnology (INBT) and a professor in the Whiting School of Engineering and School of Medicine at The Johns Hopkins University.
Since then, Wei transitioned to work as an undergraduate researcher in the lab of Jered Haun, UCI associate professor of biomedical engineering, to investigate the adhesion dynamics of nanoparticles for future applications in diagnostics and therapeutic delivery.
When she is not occupied researching in a lab or with a student organization, Wei can be found in the science library or exploring local parks, beaches, and museums with her camera. When asked what makes her proud to be an anteater, Wei shares, “UCI is a R1 University (very high research activity, categorized by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education), and the professors here are leading researchers in their fields.”
Wei is expected to graduate in 2023.
“I am hoping to enter a PhD program in Biomedical Sciences/Engineering to further my understanding of nanomedicine and expand my research skills with an interdisciplinary perspective. It’s my goal to contribute to the advancement of science by devising innovative engineering strategies and pushing the boundaries on how we approach therapeutic engineering.”
The UCI School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences’ alumni chapter, Anteaters in Pharmacy, was established in 2019. Anteaters in Pharmacy is the official UCI alumni chapter dedicated to pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, and the overall sector. Members engage in our community, build their networks, volunteer together, and contribute to UCI.
If you are interested in giving and supporting future recipients of this scholarship, visit the Zot Funder page here.
Undergraduate pharmaceutical sciences students may apply for this scholarship here.