“As I entered college, I was in renal failure and had two choices: Return home and enjoy the rest of my declining life, or make one last effort to achieve my childhood dream. I chose the latter. I received an auto renal kidney transplant, picked up my textbook and asked myself this question, ‘How far are you willing to go?’ I’m willing to go farther than anyone has before me.

My disease drove me to pursue a degree in biology. It’s been incredible to be in a position, as a student, where I can exercise my own ambition by drafting a gene-editing research proposal to mitigate the effects of my own disease, Turner Syndrome (TS). I was born with Mosaic TS, a genetic mutation that causes one of a female’s X chromosomes to be incomplete or completely missing.

Throughout my undergraduate experience, eliminating the uncertainty of my condition was aided through studying genomics. I was able to take authority over my own health care. It made every surgery, procedure and supplemental diagnosis easier to comprehend and overcome.

All the while I continued competing in archery as a member of the U.S.A. RED Team with a goal of qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

My favorite biology course has been Gene Expression (BIOL 5120), taught by Prof. Michael Werner of the School of Biological Sciences. In this class, I learned how to translate my excitement for genomics and genetic engineering into a research proposal. With chromosomal mutations like Turner Syndrome, recovering lost genetic information is at the core of any real solution. My proposal outlined how gene-editing technologies—such as CRISPR-Cas9, homology-directed repair (HDR) and mRNA delivery—could be used to ‘copy and paste’ missing genetic content onto a fragmented X chromosome. I focussed on the SHOXa gene with the goal of recovering genetic function in female hormone secretion and physical growth of patients with Turner Syndrome. Understanding the science, specifically gene-editing technologies, offers real hope for addressing TS and other genetic diseases.

I’ve been very blessed with my medical condition, and also with the knowledge I’ve gained during my undergraduate studies that allows me to theorize actionable solutions. I hope to one day attend medical school and specialize in hepatobiliary (kidney/liver) transplant surgery with a supplemental focus in chromosomal abnormalities!

What I would say to my freshman self and undergraduates just beginning their journey at the U, ‘People only get brave when they have nothing to lose. Be brave anyway.’”

—Sydney Brooksby, majoring in biology with an emphasis in genomics/genetics, and minoring in medical humanities

U.S.A. RED Team member (archery) and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics hopeful