Hey guys. It’s Macdaleine again. I happen to have a really cool Biology TA (teaching assistant), and when I asked him if he wouldn’t mind being interviewed about his research for Insite, he readily agreed. So check out some of the questions that I asked him and be sure to watch the video tour around his lab at the Center for Cancer Research.

What is your name?
Eliezer Calo.

Where are you from?
San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Where did you do your schooling?
University of Puerto Rico/ (UPR-RP).

What made you get involved in Biology?
I actually did my degree in Chemistry but joined a biochemistry lab during my undergrad and got more interested in biology. I enjoyed working with receptors and the immune system and finding out how they work and help with survival.

What type of work do you do here at MIT? What is your research about?
I deal with cancer research at the Center for Cancer Research on campus. I try to understand the pathways and the genes involved with cancer. At the center, we use the mouse and zebra fish model to study disrupted pathways and monitor the effects of cancer.

The genes involved with cancer are similar for mice, fish and humans so we can use our results from mice and fish and apply them to humans. There are some potential discoveries in the works but more research and data is needed.

What aspect of your work do you enjoy the most?
Everything. My job isn’t perfect, but I try to be motivated and enjoy everything so that the small things seem less important.

Is there anything that you would say makes you unique from the other people working in the lab?
I’m really messy and you can always find me dancing.

What plans do you have for the future?
I plan to continue in science. Having a PhD help open a lot of doors in industry, consulting, and research, but right now, I’m not too worried about it. I have three more years of schooling (I’ll actually graduate with you). Biology at MIT is competitive, but once you’re in, you’re good.

What advice do you have for kids in middle/high school interested in science and technology?
Everyone has a little scientist inside of them. The only thing is you have to explore because science is a very broad area. It’s hard to decide what to concentrate in but that’s why I would recommend going to a school that gives you exposure to different types of science to give you an opportunity to find out what you enjoy.

*For more info, check out the website for the center for cancer research at

http://web.mit.edu/ki/index.html