Hasahn Conway

As a proud member of the Saeed Lab family, I assist with day-to-day operations, supervise lab safety issues, do experiments, and last but not the least, bring loads of positive energy, upbeat mood, and natural warmth to the group. The lab’s general tendency to enjoy science and humor has created an environment that is highly conducive to learning new experimental skills with the greatest of ease. Since joining the Saeed lab, I have polished my skills of DNA cloning, learned how to work with diverse viruses from the Picornaviridae, Flaviviridae, and Coronaviridae families, obtained BSL3 training, and made tremendous contributions to the ongoing projects in the lab. Although I spend most of my time helping others with their studies, I also have a small project of my own, which focuses on understanding the role of proteolysis in enterovirus replication. For this project, I overexpress proteins known to be cleaved by enteroviral proteases in different cell types and examine the effect of these proteins on virus replication.

I received my B.S. from the illustrious Xavier University of Louisiana, where I studied biology with a special focus on biochemistry and microbiology. It was during this time that I was introduced to the laboratory research; I participated in a study characterizing the effect of angiogenic compounds on cancer development and progression. Upon graduating, I joined Boston University’s Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program (BU PREP) and worked in the laboratory of Dr. Andrew Henderson, where my research focused on exploring the role of novel transcription factors in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) life cycle.

In my free time, I enjoy exploring different parts of the city and finding new places to take pictures and enhance my photography skills. I also enjoy going to events that enable me to hone my skills of American Sign Language and nonverbal communication.