Summer research work at GU advances career goals of Belarus native
Published: August 03, 2022
Scott Pattenaude, GU assistant professor of chemistry, left, is shown in the lab with Kate Prakharenka.
Though she’s a positive person by nature, traces of concern linger in Kate Prakharenka’s voice. She speaks wistfully about her extended family in her hometown of Gomel, Belarus, who have been impacted by the Russian invasion of nearby Ukraine.
But her life this summer has been dominated not by the death and destruction of war, but by the study of amino acids, which are commonly defined as a the “building blocks of life.”
“I’m studying amino acids as they attach to different elements,” said Kate, who transferred to Greenville University last fall as a junior biology major after completing two years of study at Kaskaskia College in Centralia. “Amino acids are so important to the metabolism of the human body. My favorite part is seeing how they react to those other elements.”
Gaining an in-depth understanding of amino acids through GU’s Summer Science Research Program will be valuable to Kate as she pursues her goal of attending medical school. Participation in the eight-week program allows students to add valuable research experience to their resumes.
“I want to help people,” she said. “I want to take care of their needs and treat them well. I believe that the way a physician interacts with their patients can change outcomes.”
Research only part of her summer experiences
In addition to doing the summer research at GU, under the direction of Scott Pattenaude, assistant professor of chemistry (shown with Kate in the picture above), she is also working part time at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Centralia. There, she’s employed in the phlebotomy department, collecting blood and doing blood-related tests. Because of her desire to learn more about cardio-vascular issues, she’s also job shadowing a surgeon at the hospital.
Pattenaude praised Kate for her initiative to make even basic tasks a learning exercise.
“Her work with amino acids is fundamental chemistry,” he said. “But she often goes beyond the basics and designs her own related experiments. She started the amino acid research this summer, but it won’t end there; other student researchers will continue it in future years. We’re also investing in equipment so we can do more research projects.”
Meanwhile, Kate keeps a wary eye on the conflict in Ukraine
“My grandparents and biological father still live in Belarus, and I have several relatives living in Ukraine, Poland, and Russia,” said Kate, who moved to the United States as a 16-year-old. “Several of my Ukrainian relatives have moved to Poland to get away from the conflict, so they should be safe, at least for now.
Kate came to the U.S. after her mother met an Illinois man who was vacationing in Ukraine. They married and now live in Centralia.
“Things are different here than they were in Belarus,” she said. “There, things are not always equal for men and women, but here there are more opportunities open to me. I’ve always wanted to go into the medical field– veterinary medicine at first, but now more human medicine – but in Belarus there weren’t many female doctors, especially surgeons. By doing the work in the GU lab and at the hospital, I hope to advance my dream of becoming a doctor.”
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