Name: Paula Checchi, Ph.D.
Hometown: New Egypt, NJ
Hobbies: Being outside (hiking, running, rock climbing…), cooking, reading, spending time with my dog
What do you study?
I am interested in DNA repair, which is the process of how our genetic material fixes itself in response to damage.
Why is it important?
The inability to fix broken DNA can cause cancer, problems conceiving, and contributes to age-related diseases.
What piqued your interest in science?
I first fell in love with understanding the human body and was fascinated by diseases. At first I thought I wanted to be a doctor. In college, I became less interested in medicine but remained fascinated in science at the cellular level. I have always loved learning, and science classes were always the hardest for me, so it might seem strange that I chose it, but I have always loved challenges!
What do you like about being a scientist?
Science is the ultimate problem-solving game. It’s like a murder mystery! I love coming up with new ideas and testing them. I also love searching through scientific literature for clues that others might have missed and coming up with new experiments. The ultimate high is when those ideas are actually correct! Discovering new things and sharing them with others is what keeps me going. (That and a lot of coffee.)
What are 5 general vocabulary terms someone should know going into your field of science?
DNA, cell, enzyme, microscope, protein
What are 5 specific vocabulary terms someone should know about your research?
CRISPR, chromatin, epigenetics, chromosome, DNA repair