September 3, 2024

“Dream big and take the initiative to put yourself out there. If you’re hesitant or afraid of your goals, that’s okay. Your goals should be big, they should be scary, my goals certainly terrify at times.”

Nathan is an undergraduate student double majoring in biochemistry and biology, and he plans to pursue an MD/PhD after graduating in the Spring of 2026. Outside of campus life, classes, and research, Nathan is a triathlete and soldier in the Utah National Guard 1/145 Field Artillery Unit.

In 2024, Nathan’s research, and potential, were recognized with a Goldwater Scholarship (story). The Goldwater Scholarship is a prestigious honor awarded nationally to college sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue research careers. In 2024, two U of U undergrads, and 438 students nationally, were recognized as Goldwater Scholars. This high honor was made possible through his unwavering dedication to research in the Liu lab, and his dreams of becoming a physician-scientist (MD/PhD). Upon reflecting on his research Nathan says, “I have been with the Liu lab (Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine) throughout my undergraduate studies. My research implements a novel gene editing technology termed vfCRISPR to study the DNA Damage response in cancer cells. We want to elucidate how cancer cells decide between repair pathways.”

The Liu Lab is just one of the many research labs on campus pioneering cutting-edge research and providing undergraduates the opportunity to be involved!

If you’re considering the U, or if you’re a current undergraduate interested in research, would like to learn more about the Goldwater Scholar award, or balancing military service with academics, you can learn more about Nathan in a recent Humans of the U feature. Or feel free to email your questions to him directly (nathan.patchen@biochem.utah.edu ).

You can email us at sbs-media@biology.utah.edu with questions, or ideas, or to suggest a student story.