Katy Lehmann ’16

Name: Katy Lehmann

Year: 2016

Hometown: Houston, Texas

Majors: B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Health: Science, Society, and Policy (HSSP)

Her Campus: What attracted you to Brandeis?

Katy Lehmann: I grew up on the East Coast and then moved to Houston in the eighth grade, but I knew I wanted to come back East for college. So I looked for schools that had really good academics and soccer programs, and I sort of narrowed it down to Brandeis and a couple of the NESCAC schools. But when I came on an official visit to Brandeis, I loved it and that was it. It was just a really good all-around fit.

HC: What activities are you involved in on campus?

KL: I’ve been on the women’s soccer team for four years—I’m a goalkeeper—and I’m also very involved in the science community on campus. I’ve done research for three years in Dr. Avital Rodal’s lab working on the molecular mechanism of disease. I specifically work on Lowe’s Syndrome, which is a rare disease that not that many people know about, but it’s super interesting to work on. I was also on the Leadership Committee for ‘Deis Day the year we had Jay Pharaoh come, I did hunger relief work in Rhode Island through Volunteer Vacations, and I went down to Honduras with Global Medical Brigades to do medical outreach and set up a medical clinic down there.

HC: What has been your proudest Brandeis moment so far?

KL: Defending my thesis was a pretty proud moment. In Avi’s lab, I designed my own project to understand how the cell shape changes in Lowes Syndrome and find out what molecular mechanism controls those shape changes. I had worked on this project for three years, so I had a lot of data on it, and the thesis defense was the final culminating moment of everything. I got to tell this cool story about my data and my project, and a bunch of my friends came so they got to hear what I had been doing during all the time I spent in lab, and that was really, really fun. 

HC: What advice do you have for incoming first years?

KL: Try lots of things, but don’t overstretch yourself. So try things you’re really interested in, but if you’re not interested in them, it’s okay to stop. Also, figure out how you study, because it may not be at 2 am in the library with all of your friends. I found that out the hard way.

HC: Where do you see yourself in ten years?

KL: Ideally I’d be done with medical school and doing work that combined medicine and science. That’s about as much as I’ve figured out so far. I’d like to have a family at some point, but maybe not in ten years.

Quick Facts:

Secret Talent: I can speak a little Danish after studying abroad in Copenhagen.

Favorite Movie: Monsters, Inc. and Bridemaids

Favorite Quote: “To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Favorite Spot on Campus: The soccer field or the Science Center

Favorite Boston Attraction: The North End  

Favorite Meal: Pasta Carbonara with wine

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