Ridha Alam

Studied Abroad at Oxford University, Oxford UK in Spring 2024 

 I studied abroad at Oxford University as an affiliate student at Keble College where I took two seminar courses (Tudor-Stuart England, Psychopathology) and one tutorial course (Neurobiology). I also participated in an independent study where I was a research assistant in Dr. Kevin Coward’s laboratory in the Nuffield Department of Reproductive and Women’s Health/ TFP Oxford Fertility Clinic. In the lab, I was analyzing the correlation between PLCzeta deficiency in human sperm and clinical pregnancy rates in infertile couples undergoing IVF via assisted oocyte activation. I was also able to travel to several places in Europe, my favorite of which was Bosnia and Herzegovina!  

For the future, I hope to become a physician-scientist where I can blend the worlds of clinical practice and research to create novel treatments for infertility and contraception. I am in the process of my Honors Thesis where I am researching the effects of knocking out TRPM7 and TRPV3 calcium channels in mouse oocytes on embryo development and fertility. I plan on taking a gap year to further my experience before applying to MD/PhD programs in the future.