When she's not leading tours or hosting radio shows on campus, Ishita Singh '26 is making new discoveries on white blood cell evolution in the Hoehn Lab. Her lab work, which she found by simply sending an email—a common way of getting involved with research at Dartmouth—has been a source of both intellectual fulfillment and transformative community.
Why did you choose Dartmouth?
Coming from Mumbai, I never got to visit Dartmouth before applying, but the freedom to study whatever I want while taking advantage of all the opportunities of a research institution was a big pull. People warned me about it being the smallest Ivy and "in the middle of nowhere," but the size is one of my favorite things—it's very collaborative, and we don't have to compete for resources. It quickly felt like home, and the natural surroundings are absolutely beautiful.
Can you tell us a bit about your academic interests?
I like complicated systems—they're just really cool to understand, and I found that in both computer science and biology. For me, it was about finding a place where I could combine those interests. A lot of what I do in the Hoehn Lab is coding, but I'm looking at biological data, and you can't really understand the data without understanding systems and what's happening on a cellular level.
What are you researching in the Hoehn lab?
We're looking at B cells, a type of white blood cell, through a perspective of phylogenetics, which is just a fancy term for evolution. I'm specifically looking at how different B cells have evolved to respond to COVID strains, like Omicron versus Wuhan, for example. We found cells that evolved to bind to Omicron before they were even exposed to it. It's a preliminary conclusion, but it's exciting to contribute a new discovery to an academic paper.
How have the relationships you've developed here helped shape your path?
The relationships I have with my professors are something unique that I couldn't foster anywhere but Dartmouth. I first met one of my major advisers, Professor Olga Zhaxybayeva, in Biology 47: Genomics, and we get ice cream every term at Red Kite Candy in Hanover. Also, getting to know my professors, the wonderful people in my lab, and my talented roommates-turned-friends has helped me thrive in a collaborative work environment. This community has really changed me for the better.
Photograph by Don Hamerman
