Kiana Frank, G2
Over three years in high school, Kiana Frank developed a project in Hawaiian marshes, in which she observed the microbial dynamics of the watersheds. In the process of developing and executing this project, Kiana developed an intense passion for science. She pursued that passion by studying gap junction proteins at the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, and a senior thesis at the University of Rochester on the inhibitory potentials of transition metal cations of copper and iron on Streptococcus mutans.
Kiana would love to settle in Peter Girguis’s lab, studying the microbial community compositions of extreme aquatic environments (such as though found near hydrothermal vents, or in shallow hot springs, etc.). Kiana hopes that her MCB experience will challenge her thinking about what makes for “good science,” provoke her to develop new methods with which to approach basic questions, and give her the tools and exposure necessary to adapt her research to changes in technology and the environment. She chose MCB and Harvard because she “really liked the atmosphere I felt when I visited.”
Kiana’s goal is to develop an organization that brings together laboratories across the Hawaiian Islands to perform research benefitting the Hawaiian community. The organization’s research would be focused on the Hawaiian concept of an ahupua’a (ancient Hawaiian land divisions), which essentially refers to an ecosystems comprised of watersheds, agriculture and aquaculture. The organization would also work to promote cultural education, increase the participation of the community in restoration and conservation efforts, and create a healthy discussion between community members and policy makers. The research, she says, would be heavily influenced by Hawaiian culture: “For example, while we move forward in our ability to genetically modify a more successful version of taro (the local starch staple used to make poi), we will also cultivate our cultural knowledge and skill of planting, nurturing and harvesting the land and learn of the legends, olis (chants), and beliefs our ancestors had with regards to this plant.”
Kiana believes the most beneficial aspect of this organization is providing high school students with an intensive summer research program, something like the one she in which she was involved. Students would have the opportunity to explore the connections between the natural and cultural histories of the Hawaiian Islands and learn techniques to identify, monitor, and conserve Hawaii’s natural resources.
