Passion for Research
When freshman biochemistry student Sarah Neighbor started to experience unusual symptoms in her senior year of high school, such as tightening of the throat and chest pain, she wondered if it was her severe peanut allergy.
“My throat started to tighten more frequently when I would go out to eat, which was such an uncomfortable feeling. Every time this occurred I was convinced I was having an allergic reaction.”
After an ER and a GI visit Sarah had an endoscopy and was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EOE). At the GI doctor Sarah said he knew right away she had symptoms of EOE.
“Essentially the disease occurs when a large amount of white blood cells (or eosinophils) enters the esophagus and initiate an immune response, telling my body that something is going on. That is what causes the throat tightness, trouble swallowing and acid reflux.”
Sarah notes that people who have food/seasonal allergies, asthma or a genetic condition are more likely to develop the disease since they have an “allergic esophagus.”
Still managing her EOE to this day with medication, Sarah says, “This allowed me to experience first-hand what it is like to go through trial and error within the medical system and feel lost during a diagnosis. It is truly the most isolating feeling.”
Choosing Clemson
This experience with EOE gave Sarah a passion for research, which weighed heavily while searching for colleges.
“Everyone deserves an answer like the one I got, and that starts with scientific research.”
Sarah chose Clemson because of our strong STEM and undergraduate research programs, school spirit and beautiful campus. Biochemistry seemed to be the perfect fit for Sarah, in her own words, “combining biology and chemistry and offering flexibility.”
“Biochemistry allows me to be exposed to a diverse range of research areas and disciplines and to understand life at the molecular level which I find thrilling.”
Sarah recently joined Dr. Congyue Peng from the Department of Bioengineering’s Creative Inquiry Program. Sarah’s research in Dr. Peng’s lab focuses on early biomarker detection that is associated with the prognosis of triple negative breast cancer.
“I will be utilizing many techniques throughout this project, such as qPCR and cell culture. I am so excited to be back in the lab!”
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
After her junior year of high school, up until coming to Clemson, Sarah was a paid intern at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, working in the Lynch Laboratory.
“During my time there, I worked on characterizing MHC class I and II molecules in laboratory ferrets, which are an important model for human lung disease and transplant rejection due to their similar immune responses and lung structure. Because many ferret MHC molecules are uncharacterized in the reference genome, there is a gap in understanding MHC variability and haplotypes, limiting transplant research.”
Sarah identified conserved and variable regions within MHC genes and designed PCR primers to amplify these variable regions. The primer design was successfully validated through gel electrophoresis, demonstrating an effective method to characterize unannotated MHC molecules and expand knowledge of the ferret genome for future transplant and immunological studies.
“This experience was probably the coolest thing I have ever done. I presented my research at the Ohio Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in March 2025 and won first place in the poster presentation category.”
Sarah also had the opportunity to present at the end of July 2025, which showcased the more recent research she conducted throughout the summer.
“I am so grateful to the Lynch Lab for mentoring me throughout high school and showing me what a passion for research truly looks like.”
Engagement on Campus
Besides Dr. Peng’s lab, Sarah has joined the Opinion Column for The Tiger Newspaper on campus. She just finished writing her first article. Take a look!
As a member of Pi Beta Phi, Sarah was recently elected to be the chapter’s Sunshine Chair for the next two semesters. Within this role she will be working alongside the Director of Lifelong Membership and Vice President of Member Experience to create programming that promotes mental health and sisterhood.
“I am excited to become more active in this position because I believe prioritizing mental health is so important. It is essential to create an environment where sisters can feel comfortable being honest about how they are doing, knowing that support is accessible without judgement.”
Looking Ahead
After graduating, Sarah plans on entering a graduate program and going into research that focuses on neuroscience, cancer and uncommon or under-researched diseases. Sarah has always been passionate about research and the opportunities it brings to change lives. However, after being diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis, her interest in uncommon diseases grew.
“I do not know anyone personally with this disease [EOE], so when I was initially struggling with it, I felt very alone. Over time, I realized that research in uncommon areas is more than important, because it advocates for those who felt alone like I once did. Everyone deserves answers and a cure, so I hope to be that for someone when I progress in my career.”
