Oscar Arellano-Pacheco discovered a love for science and a new direction for his future at Mercer University. A December graduate in biochemistry and molecular biology, his undergraduate experiences recently landed him a position as a research specialist at Emory University, where he’ll be involved in immunology work just like he’d hoped.
Arellano-Pacheco, a first-generation college student from Alpharetta, initially thought he wanted to be a doctor, so Mercer’s School of Medicine was a big factor in his decision to attend the University for his undergraduate degree. However, his interest shifted from medicine to research as a participant in the BOMM — biology, organic chemistry and mathematical modeling — program, through which sophomores research, create and test drugs.
Through the program, Arellano-Pacheco had his first research experiences in the labs of chemistry professor Dr. David Goode and former biology assistant professor Dr. Megan Pannell. He also did gene annotation work related to insulin pathways with biology assistant professor Dr. John Stanga.
“That was amazing work, and that made me consider what are some other things I can do other than being a doctor,” said Arellano-Pacheco, who was in the University Honors Program. “Mercer showed me all the cool things you can do with biology. My professors really invested in my success. They pushed me to obtain these really good opportunities.”
At his professors’ encouragement, Arellano-Pacheco applied for summer 2023 research experiences for undergraduates (REUs) and was able to go to Sanford Health in South Dakota, where he did more intensive biomedical research and studied the genetic disorder Tonne-Kalscheuer syndrome.
“That’s where I learned all the fundamental research skills that would take me to this job that I have now,” he said. “That experience was what changed the course of my career, the course of my life. Being able to really apply biology to the next level, thinking about what we can do to improve the life of the patient, that was really fun.”
With a “newfound love for science” and following the hospitalization of a friend with Crohn’s disease, Arellano-Pacheco became interested in studying the immune system and immunology. The next academic year, he studied interactions between immune cells and fungal pathogens with former biology assistant professor Dr. Sahar Hasim. Specifically, they implemented a novel technique that used antifungal drugs to weaken fungal pathogens, with the hopes of improving disease prognosis. Arellano-Pacheco had the opportunity to present this research at the Association of Southeastern Biologists conference and Mercer’s BEAR Day.
Last summer, he conducted research related to designing synthetic antibodies to treat cancer during an REU at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. During his final semester at Mercer, he returned to Dr. Stagna’s lab and used molecular biology techniques to look at seed germination pathways in a plant called arabidopsis thaliana. Other students involved in the project will present this research at the 2025 BEAR Day in April.
Arellano-Pacheco’s involvement in two Mercer programs allowed him to build relationships with his professors and get involved with the student body. He became one of the first mentors in biology lecturer Dr. Shonteria Johnson’s new Bio Mentorship Program, through which upperclassmen offer encouragement, resources and support to mentees they are paired with.
Arellano-Pacheco said he was able to offer advice on getting involved in undergraduate research and, with a friend, curated a list to connect students with research projects led by professors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine.
He also served as a leader in the University’s Supplemental Instruction program, which provides group study sessions for challenging courses. He provided tutoring for chemistry and biology courses, holding three review sessions each week, and discovered a love for teaching in the process.
“I really enjoyed coming up with ways to present materials to students in a way that they understood it,” Arellano-Pacheco said. “It really solidified my future career plans. Doing the teaching, I’ve never been more fulfilled by a job.”
Now, Arellano-Pacheco is about to start his career doing work he is extremely interested in. He was just hired as a research specialist at Emory University, where he will be looking at the effects of cancer and chronic illnesses on the immune system and the efficacy of new vaccines in the lab of Dr. Mohamed Abdel Hakeem.
“Dr. Hakeem told me the reason I was hired was my experience with research as an undergrad,” he said. “It helped me get a job doing exactly what I want to do.”
Arellano-Pacheco plans to later apply for Ph.D. programs related to immunology and understanding chronic conditions. He hopes to one day be able to develop improved therapies for treating patients. He’s also interested in training the next generation of scientists as a professor.
“As a doctor, I feel like I’d be limited to my clinic. As a scientist, if I develop this drug, this is a worldwide influence. There’s a lot more opportunities to change the world as a scientist than as a clinician, from my perspective,” he said.
