Megan Nishitani is an undergraduate researcher in the Schriner Lab who is on track to earn her BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences degree in three years (the program is typically completed in four years). In her short time at UCI, she has stood out as an accomplished student and promising future pharmacist as she prepares for the next phase of her education and career.
Nishitani chose to study pharmaceutical sciences at UCI due to the university’s academic and research opportunities, in addition to engaging student life.
“What truly set UCI apart for me was the sense of community I felt the moment I stepped onto campus. This welcoming atmosphere, combined with the university’s emphasis on research and innovation, made me confident in my choice,” she shared.
In the Schriner Lab, she works alongside the research team, who study DNA damage and mutation and energy metabolism in relation to aging.
“The focus of our research is to understand the aging process and to explore the mechanisms of action of drugs that slow the aging process using Saccharomyces cerevisiae, or Baker’s yeast, as a model organism,” she explained. “We are currently investigating the biosynthesis pathway of the amino acid methionine, as well as that of spermidine, which is a compound known to extend lifespan in model organisms. We are interested in exploring the interaction between these two compounds and their roles in aging and cellular health.”
Nishitani has had many opportunities through her work within the Schriner Lab. She has presented at the UCI Undergraduate Research Symposium and the Geroscience Los Angeles Meeting (GLAM) at the University of Southern California (USC), including to an approximately 400-person audience at the organization’s 2024 event. She has co-authored an article “Spermidine toxicity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae due to complex III deficiency,” currently under review for the journal Biogerontology. She is also a co-author on a poster, “Interaction of spermidine and a low methionine diet on lifespan in mtDNA-deficient Saccharomyces cerevisiae,” that was presented at the 2024 Gerontological Sciences of America meeting in Seattle.
Additionally, Nishitani is a mentor and the co-president of the Pharmaceutical Sciences Mentorship Program (PSMP). She is a learning assistant (LA) for chemistry lab courses and the UCI-campuswide honors collegium class, “Critical Analysis of Health Science Literature.”
With a planned Spring 2025 graduation date, she is currently applying to Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programs. She has been accepted to UC San Diego and interviewed at USC.
“I’m looking forward to continuing my journey in pharmaceutical sciences, and I am eager to contribute to a multidisciplinary field of clinicians, researchers, and educators,” she shared.
