Thiago Borges

When Thiago Borges arrived at the famed Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, in the summer of 2025 to participate in a weeklong embryology course, he felt a little intimidated. 

It was understandable. Most of the students in the course were advanced graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and more senior researchers, while he was a UMass Lowell (UML) undergraduate. The program’s instructors were among the leading names in the field of embryology.

Borges quickly realized, however, that he belonged. His experiences at UML had prepared him well for the opportunity at Woods Hole, which was made possible by a national fellowship he received from the Center for Developmental Biology. He spent the week immersed in coursework, attending lectures and networking with researchers.

"I don’t have the words to describe how incredible the opportunity was," says Borges, who grew up in Marlborough and is now a senior.

Figuring out which scientific opportunities to pursue at UML was part of Borges’ educational journey.

“I wish I could say, ‘I always loved biology and I’ve always known I wanted to do developmental biology with nematodes,’” Borges says. But that was not the case. He was always interested in science, and growing up, he considered careers as an astronaut, dolphin trainer, veterinarian and medical doctor. But Borges hadn’t settled on one field; he applied to UML as an undeclared science major. 

It didn’t take him long to find his place on campus. During a freshman biology seminar, Assistant Professor Teresa Lee and one of her students spoke about their research into longevity, the structure of DNA and working with a nematode, or microscopic worm, Caenorhabditis elegans. Borges’ interest was piqued. While he hadn’t considered pursuing scientific research before, he applied to work in the lab.

During the interview, Borges and Lee talked about how genetics is a logic puzzle similar to sudoku. “I have a deep satisfaction in solving these puzzles,” he says. After a year of working in the lab, Lee suggested that Borges apply for a fellowship through an organization she belonged to, the Society for Developmental Biology. He was one of a few undergraduates from across the country chosen as a fellow.  

The Choose Development! paid summer undergraduate research training program allowed him to work in Lee’s lab for two summers, present his research in the poster sessions at the society’s annual conference and sample the Marine Biological Lab’s famed embryology course. 

As Borges presented his research at the conference session, held in Puerto Rico in the summer of 2025, he found himself appreciating the skills he had developed as a campus tour leader. He tailored his presentation to the interests of each new audience and made sure he was as enthusiastic for the last person as he was for the first. He will present his most recent work at organization’s 2026 conference in Las Vegas.

As he applies to doctoral programs, Borges will be interviewing with one of the researchers he met during the Woods Hole course. 

The fellowship has opened his horizons, and Borges is aware that these opportunities truly began the moment he decided to attend UML. He says, “I don't know if I could have done this fellowship if I had gone to another school.”