Yuu-U (“Loy”) Hashimoto, a junior majoring in biology with a minor in applied mathematics and statistics, has been named the URECA researcher of the month for October. Since March 2024, she has been working under the mentorship of Eugene Serebryany, an assistant professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics. Their research focuses on protein aggregation in the eye lens and explores a potential non-surgical treatment involving myo-inositol, a metabolite found in the human eye lens.
Hashimoto was awarded the prestigious Chhabra-URECA Fellowship based on her application and proposal to study “The mechanism of myo-inositol in HgD-NtD crystallin aggregation.” This fellowship provides summer undergraduate research funding and recognizes students with a passion for research.
When discussing her motivation for research, Hashimoto shared that it is deeply personal: “Growing up as the daughter of a blind mother has influenced me to always hold a deep interest in anything eye-related. I was particularly invested in conducting research that would benefit individuals with visual impairments and would like to pursue it more seriously moving forward.”
Hashimoto’s interest in research began as a freshman when she joined Natasha Vitek's laboratory in January 2023. Vitek is an assistant professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution. Hashimoto participated in the inaugural 2023 SUNY SOAR summer research program, where she focused on measuring dentine and enamel thickness in over 50 mice teeth. She presented this work at the 2023 Summer Symposium on campus.
After graduating from Stony Brook University, Hashimoto plans to pursue a PhD in biomedical sciences.
On campus, Hashimoto holds several leadership roles. She serves as president of the Japanese Student Organization and participates in an externship for the Diversity Professional Leadership Network. Additionally, she is involved with both the AAPI mentoring program for Asian American and Pacific Islanders and the Women’s Leadership Council.
Read the full interview with URECA Director Karen Kernan.