Research leads collegian down her career path

Learning to culture immune cells is tricky business. South Dakota State University sophomore Kate Kondratuk examines a container of fibroblast cells, which help keep the immune cells called neutrophils alive for a longer time. Very little research has been done on these cells, simply because working with them is so difficult. Courtesy photo

• BHS grad Kondratuk making a name for herself in microbiology research

BROOKINGS – Kate Kondratuk's interest in medicine began with a toy doctor's kit her parents gave her as a 3-year-old.

"It's been my goal since I was 3," the South Dakota State University student said last spring. "I've been interested in the human body for as long as I can remember."

Originally it was scholarships that attracted the 2011 Brookings High School graduate to SDSU. She was looking at out-of-state private colleges and large universities but didn’t want to take out a loan to pay for her education. Today, Kondratuk says the hands-on learning opportunities and supportive community she's discovered as a pre-professional student within the Biology and Microbiology department are factors she can't place a price on.



For the complete article see the 10-31-2012 issue.

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