As an international student, Hemaa Sree Kumar found a new home at UToledo.
Hailing from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sree Kumar said she chose UToledo “for its blend of academic excellence, personalized support and unique growth opportunities.”
A Ph.D. candidate doing research at the College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hemaa Sree Kumar, has taken advantage of the many opportunities UToledo has offered — including a unique study utilizing zebrafish.
“The open-door policy of most faculty at UToledo has been especially beneficial, allowing me to seek extra help and support with my coursework,” she said. “Additionally, UToledo has provided outstanding opportunities for me to engage in research, collaborating with faculty across disciplines both internally and externally.”
A Ph.D. candidate doing research at the College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Sree Kumar has taken advantage of the many opportunities UToledo has offered — including a unique study utilizing zebrafish.
“My involvement in zebrafish research was unexpected, as my career path has been somewhat unconventional,” she said. “I completed a lab rotation that used zebrafish as a model organism, and I was impressed by the advantages zebrafish offer for biomedical research. Eager to continue working with this model, I sought to deepen my expertise as I transitioned into my Ph.D. program.
“At the perfect moment, Dr. Jasenka Zubcevic joined UToledo as a new principal investigator in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, and she was interested in utilizing zebrafish in her research,” she added. “After meeting with her and completing a rotation in her lab, I decided to stay on to pursue my dissertation work.”
This led Sree Kumar to attend the Zebrafish Development and Genetics Course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
“I was honored to be one of the 22 candidates accepted into the intensive two-week program focused on zebrafish development and genetics,” she said. “It was an incredible experience, offering hands-on learning with various experimental and microscopy techniques, and I made some lifelong connections along the way.”
Dr. Jasenka Zubcevic said that Sree Kumar is engaging in groundbreaking research.
“As an ambitious neuroscience Ph.D. candidate, Hemaa is part of an exciting project studying the gut-brain axis in regulation of blood pressure, using zebrafish as a model, which has the potential to advance our understanding of cardiovascular disease,” Zubcevic said. “Under the mentorship of faculty experts, Hemaa’s work not only contributes to scientific discovery but also exemplifies the collaborative and innovative spirit at UToledo.”
As an international student, Sree Kumar has navigated many obstacles in her decade of study at UToledo. She said The Center for International Studies and Programs has provided invaluable support to her.
“They offered resources that guided me through my undergraduate years and organizing social events that helped me connect with other international students, fostering a welcoming environment.”
Sree Kumar, who is scheduled to graduate in December, said her time at UToledo was marked by adventure, learning, growth and many challenges which she overcame.
“While we often create detailed plans for our paths, life frequently surprises us with unexpected directions,” she said. “My advice is to embrace as many opportunities as you can; sometimes, an unexpected outcome can lead to rewarding experiences in the most surprising ways.”
