Featured Falcons: Claire Withington

As a longtime lover of science and chemistry, senior Claire Withington still remembers conducting play experiments as a child. This summer, she is turning childhood curiosity into real-world research at Harvard Medical School as she works alongside one of the University of Montevallo’s distinguished alumni, Dr. Richard Cummings ’74.

Cummings, director of the National Center for Glycomics Research, invites a UM student to study in the lab each summer as one of his many ways of giving back to his alma mater.

“I actually found out about it from a past Featured Falcon profile,” Withington said. “I emailed Dr. Brett Noerager last fall saying ‘Hey, I would love to do this.’ He had a meeting with me and told me that professors already suggested my name. They said that it just seemed like a good fit. I’m so grateful to them for this opportunity.”

Hailing from Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, Withington came to UM in search of a smaller history and close-knit community.

“I met with Dr. Houston Byrd on my campus visit and he talked about the environment here,” Withington said. “He shared that it had really small class sizes and that everybody knew each other. I really liked that.”

For now, the biochemistry major and biology minor is trading her lacrosse stick for a lab coat as she dives into biomedical research at Harvard. Her current focus is on neuroblastomas, where she’s investigating the genetic mutations that drive this type of childhood cancer.

“I’m studying the chaperone protein, Cosmc, and the protein it folds, T-synthase, in the Neuro-2a cell line,” she said. “These two proteins are crucial in O-glycosylation, a type of post-translational modification, because T-synthase adds a galactose to a galNAc residue on proteins to form the T antigen. Without this modification, complex O-glycans can’t form. If Cosmc is mutated, which is the case in Neuro-2a cells, then T-synthase cannot fold properly which will affect its role in synthesizing the T antigen. Mutations in this pathway cause various genetic disorders and are also a hallmark of cancers such as neuroblastomas.”

Withington’s biggest takeaway from this experience so far has been seeing how real-world lab culture differs from learning and getting to apply everything she’s studied at Montevallo in a practical setting at Harvard.

“Being able to come up with my own experiments and kind of do things on my own — also growing my own cells — has been really cool,” Withington said.

As she approaches graduation next May, Withington credits her internship with helping her decide her next steps. She plans to pursue a doctorate in cell biology with a strong interest in cell signaling and biotechnology.

Beyond her studies and lacrosse, Withington stays active on campus as a member of the Pre-Health Professionals Society and the Chemistry Club. When she’s not in the lab or on the field, she enjoys reading science fiction, shopping and hitting the gym. Some of her favorite Montevallo memories revolve around visits to University Lake.

“I love going with my friends for walks, runs, to watch the sunset and to see the two ducks that are always together,” Withington said. “One time, the Student Government Association had an event there and they let us take a canoe out, which was so fun.”

Thanks to her friends, professors and the whole UM community, Withington truly feels that she belongs at Montevallo.

“In the classroom, we’re all so close and we all lift each other up,” Withington said. “It just makes you feel like you’re part of the community. Same with being on the team — we’re all in it together. We live together, we win together, and I just really love that.”