NTCP in the lab
John Collinge, 22, is spending the summer in the lab investigating NTCP, a membrane protein that plays a role in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. The illness is of personal interest to him due to its disproportionate effect on indigenous communities across the country. As an undergraduate student in UC San Francisco’s Summer Research Training Program (SRTP), John is impacting future therapeutics, while representing his community.
As a member of the Indigenous Alutiiq Tribe of Old Harbor, a representative of the Sugpiaq people of Alaska, John is among one of the least represented populations in science fields. “I'm probably the only indigenous person in my program. It’s kind of a unique feeling,” John said of the current SRTP cohort. He hopes to one day change this reality by creating programs to promote graduate level career paths to Indigenous communities.
Growing up in Anchorage, AK, John noticed how few students he resembled. He says this trend continued throughout his educational history until reaching Fort Lewis College. The institution, which was originally established as a Native American Boarding School, now funds Indigenous students’ education as a form of reparation because of its harmful past. Its student population is now 24 percent Native American. John says when he arrived on campus, it was the first time he felt that he found true community. He further went on to become the vice president of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) chapter.
In June, John was accepted into SRTP, and joined the Coyote-Maestas Lab, led by principal investigator Willow Coyote-Maestas, PhD. “It's been awesome having John in the lab and to support a Native biologist so early on their journey,” he said. "For Native learners such as John it is so important they feel belonging and confidence so they can go on. John is so brilliant and has come so far just this summer not speak of his incredible personal journey. I am grateful to have got to play a tiny part in his career which will certainly have an impactful arc in science and for Native communities in science."
Since joining the lab, John was introduced to an Indigenous scientists’ support group called “Full Circle of Native and Indigenous Scientists in Quantitative Biology,” led by Dr. Coyote-Maestas. The symposium invites Indigenous scientists from several institutions, with the goal to create an opportunity for North American Native and Indigenous scientists to share their research, meet other scientists, and work toward building a safe and supported community. This experience has motivated John to one day start a program in Alaska or at Fort Lewis College to motivate Indigenous scientists.
John says SRTP has been a great experience, and he’s made numerous connections and friends. As SRTP comes to a close, he says he plans to apply to a graduate program at UCSF in the fall. “I do love science a lot, and I am a really big nerd in my field. It has been a privilege to do research at UCSF. It makes my heart happy that there are intersections for helping my community while also doing what I love,” he said.