Meet Mikey - The Health Care Research and Discovery Featured Student

Tomorrow’s groundbreaking health protocols result from today’s research and discovery. Outstanding research opportunities for all UMR students prepare them for careers that apply rigorous investigation and analysis to grand health challenges of the 21st century.

Michael "Mikey" Bergman ‘17

Health Care Research and Discovery
Major: Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences
Hometown: Lake Geneva, WI

How did your Capstone experience prepare you for your future in what you’re currently doing? My Capstone involved a decent amount of research experience, all of which taught me skills and prepared me to go into a PhD program. But perhaps equally importantly, my Capstone experience helped me develop a deep sense of self and the ability to critically reflect (thank you Yuko!) which has served me incredibly well. This was especially valuable when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and we all had to quarantine during possibly the most demanding or difficult part of my program. My Capstone and my UMR experience also prepared me to be a critical and interdisciplinary thinker, which I use almost daily. I have found some novel approaches to my thesis project precisely because I know how to pause, reflect and find ways forward even when things seem impossible.

What are you currently doing? I am currently a rising 5th year PhD candidate at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. My dissertation research is focused on lens crystallins, proteins in your eye that enable vision. My aims are to deepen the understanding of protein polydispersity in crystallin subtypes, and how molecular packing enables this unique tissue to be transparent and refractive.

Learn more about Mikey's experience and learn more about UMR's Pathways.