Celebrating Young Scientists - Landra Ream
“I think genetics is a really cool field of study because we already know a lot about genetics yet what has been explored is only a small fraction of what exists. Genetics provides important information that can be used for a multitude of different purposes, such as understanding what medical conditions someone might develop or what treatments for cancers would be the best for a certain patient. There is always room for new discoveries in the field of genetics, which is what I find really amazing about it.”
- Landra Ream
In 2025, Landra Ream will graduate from Lane Tech High School, part of the Chicago Public Schools system. However, Landra’s educational journey has already included the University of Notre Dame.
In the spring of 2023, Landra was selected as a sophomore to represent Lane Tech at the city-wide science fair held at Illinois Tech to present her project “Effect of A. Indica on Soil pH and Plant Growth.” While she was selected to advance to the state competition for the symposium only, the bigger prize was Dr. Amy Stark selected her for one of two full scholarships for the DNA Learning Center’s residential summer camp.
“Landra had a clear excitement for science and while her project wasn’t directly related to genetics, the way she answered my questions convinced me she would make the most of the opportunity to come to Notre Dame.” - Dr. Amy Stark
Landra shared when she heard she won the award she was excited and curious, “I knew that Notre Dame has a really good science program so the DNA Learning Center must also be amazing. I never really thought about genetics or pursuing a project in biomedical science so I thought that this would be a great opportunity to explore a new field of science I have not yet studied.”
The summer of 2023 found Landra staying in Lyons Hall for a week while she gained college lab level experience. Landra said, “At the DNA Learning Center camp I executed many different experiments which gave me a great foundation for genetics and sparked my interest in that field of science. It was an amazing experience to work in the lab and acquire an understanding of using new tools and equipment. In addition, I learned a lot about the power of genetics and the many ways it can be used to find information and make a hypotheses.”
“My daughter Landra had a great experience at the DNA Learning Center. It was an amazing opportunity for her to get a taste of life on campus during the summer. She also had access to perform experiments in a lab environment while collaborating with peers. Dr. Stark and the staff left a lasting impression on Landra and have further fueled her pursuit of studying Science in college.” - Jason Ream, Landra's father
So the following fall, when science fair project season started, Landra knew she wanted to do a medical-related project, but she also thought about her time at the Notre Dame DNA Learning Center. Landra recalled, “I reached out to Dr. Stark at the beginning of the school year and then we were able to set up zoom meetings. She explained to me all of the different things I could do and how I could utilize the lab. Dr. Stark also gave me numerous resources to help get me started on my project. I chose to do an experiment about biomarkers for cisplatin treatment in breast cancer.” Dr. Stark shared that she was excited to work with Landra, who is the second Chicago Public Schools science fair scholarship winner to reach out to complete a science fair project with the DNA Learning Center.
After a series of Zoom meetings between Landra, Dr. Stark, and Landra’s teachers, Landra returned to Notre Dame to use the lab and measure three genes in chemotherapy treated breast cancer cells.
“When I came back to Notre Dame in November it was like I never left. I used similar methods for my experiment that I had previously learned in the summer which helped more quickly and accurately get through my procedure. Having a solid basis of understanding from the experiments I performed in the summer allowed me to be able to easily comprehend a more complex application of genetics and gene expression analysis.” - Landra
After completing her work in the lab, Landra and Dr. Stark continued to meet over Zoom to discuss data analysis and interpretation. “Having zoom meetings with Dr. Stark helped me gain a better understanding of the processes behind why my results might be the way they are and develop better data analysis skills,” Landra said.
In March, Landra returned to the city-wide Chicago Public Schools Science Fair representing Lane Tech. Except this time, not only was she selected to advance to the State Science fair for both the symposium and project, but she won one of the four spots for the best project overall and advanced to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) representing Chicago. “When I heard my name I was super excited and a little surprised because I knew I had an amazing project but I didn’t think I was actually going to make it because of how competitive it is,” Landra shared. Dr. Stark was also surprised for the same reason. “The Chicago Public Schools city-wide science fair has a lot of amazing projects and for Landra to be selected as a junior was really impressive. It highlighted the impact that our scholarship had made the previous year,” Dr. Stark stated.
“Going to ISEF was one of the best experiences I have had. I was able to meet young scientists from all over the world and learn about the research they had done,” Landra remembered. Landra made numerous connections and received future opportunities due to her participation in ISEF. “I'm confident that the DNA Learning Center put Landra on the right track to succeed in being selected for ISEF,” said Jason Ream, Landra’s dad.
“I am so glad that I won the scholarship and attended the Notre Dame DNA Center Summer camp because I developed a passion for genetics and biomedical science." -Landra
Her long-term plans now include majoring in biomedical science or engineering or possibly in a pre-med program before pursuing either medical or biomedical research graduate education. “I would love to attend Notre Dame because of the amazing undergraduate science programs the school offers as well as the beautiful campus and great student life,” Landra shared.
As Dr. Stark expressed, regardless of where Landra ends up going for college, her future is bright as a scientist. Landra’s potential was evident as a sophomore and her future is only brighter now. Landra’s story embodies the goals of the DNA Learning Center.
Do you know a student who has used their experiences at the DNA Learning Center as a foundation for their future success? Submit them to be featured in our next post!
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