Q&A with Hannah Matthews (G3, Corbett Lab and Jose Ordovas-Montanes)
Where are you from and what do you enjoy most about your hometown?
I am from a small town outside of Greensboro, North Carolina, called Reidsville. I loved growing up in North Carolina, where the summers are long and sunny, there are plenty of opportunities to spend time outdoors, and college basketball is a big part of the culture (Go Heels!).
What is your research focused on?
I study how coronaviruses disrupt homeostasis in the airway. I am particularly interested in understanding why and how some coronaviruses are able to infect the human airway and cause mild disease, while others result in a much higher pathogenic burden. I approach these questions from both a virology and computational genomics perspective, using molecular biology and single-cell sequencing techniques.
What is your favorite part of your research?
My favorite part of my research is coding! I love using datasets to ask a bunch of questions. The most challenging and rewarding part is struggling with a problem for weeks or even months and then finally figuring it out.
How do you relax when you’re not working?
After work, you can usually find me running on the treadmill or along the Charles River. It’s truly my favorite way to decompress after a long day. When I’m not in Boston, I love exploring new cities and hiking in different National Parks.
Tell us about an activity outside of the lab you’re involved in and why it’s important to you
I am a logistics director and mentor for a Harvard program called HPREP, which recruits high school students from underserved and underrepresented backgrounds in Boston to pursue careers in STEM through a weekly program. Serving as a mentor and being able to directly impact young scientists has been one of the most meaningful parts of my time at Harvard.
