From University of Kentucky to United Kingdom: UK alum’s education prepared her for research at Cambridge

At the University of Kentucky, Gretchen Ruschman became a “well-rounded scientist.”

After graduating from the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) in 2024, Ruschman began her studies at the University of Cambridge, where she earned her Master of Philosophy in medical science with a focus on obstetrics and gynecology. She is now in her first year in the NIH Oxford-Cambridge (OxCam) Scholars Program, through which students earn their doctorate while researching with one of the two universities and the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

‘Hands-on research’ as an undergraduate

From Athens, Kentucky, Ruschman was drawn to UK because it’s a top-tier research institution with a “strong science foundation.” She chose to study agricultural and medical biotechnology (AMBT), which offered a close-knit cohort at a large university.

Ruschman’s major and extracurricular activities soon gave her opportunities to pursue her research interests and do hands-on research.

“That’s something that’s so great about the college — it encourages students to get involved in different facets and offers a flexible curriculum that lets you shape your degree around your interests and ambitions,” she said.

Ruschman, who was also a Lewis Honors College student, started undergraduate research in her first semester at UK, working in the lab of Carlos M. Rodriguez Lopez, Ph.D., The Bill Gatton Foundation Distinguished Professor and associate professor in the Martin-Gatton CAFE Department of Horticulture.

“Gretchen, over nearly four years, evolved from an eager observer to an independent researcher who could design experiments, troubleshoot in real time and mentor others,” Lopez said. “She built next-generation sequencing libraries for 400+ soil samples, led bioinformatic analyses of fungal communities and paired those data with metabolite profiling — work that is the backbone of forthcoming manuscripts.”

Ruschman said Lopez encouraged her to “keep dreaming” and working toward her goals as a scientist. Lopez said Ruschman’s clear passion was a strength.

“From her first weeks in our lab, Gretchen was clear-eyed about where her heart lived — human reproductive health — and she let that purpose steer every choice,” Lopez said.

As she continued to work in Lopez’s lab, Ruschman also shared her interest in reproductive research with the UK Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR).

“They’re incredible and wonderful people to help you narrow down your research interests,” Ruschman said. “Or, if you have a specific research niche, they will help you navigate the many opportunities and resources UK provides to deepen your research interests.”

Jesi Jones-Bowman, OUR administrative director, connected Ruschman with Patrick R. Hannon, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in UK’s College of Medicine.

“Gretchen is such a precious and driven person. Her passion for research was evident when I met her the summer after her freshman year; she then spent three years as a Research Ambassador where she helped to connect hundreds of students with research opportunities at UK,” Jones-Bowman said. “There is no mountain high enough that she won’t climb.”

Ruschman said she learned meticulous and well-documented science from Hannon’s lab.

“Gretchen always had a curious mind, but her growth was observed in how she used that curiosity,” Hannon said. “We perform very technically challenging methods to answer our research questions, and Gretchen dedicated time and effort to transform from a curious student to a productive, full member of my research team generating tangible research output.”

It wasn’t just research that impacted Ruschman’s education — organizations like the UK Gaines Center for the Humanities contributed to her “breadth of different experiences.”

“Pushing my capacity as a thinker beyond the scientific realm was really important to me because I wanted to understand the impacts of my science beyond the bench,” she said. “Gaines gave me the tools to approach and understand my work through a more humanistic lens.”

By the time she graduated from UK, Ruschman had developed research that she knew she wanted to continue.

“I worked in two UK labs that explored completely different topics, but I loved aspects of both,” Ruschman said. “I wanted to understand how they could influence each other and, ultimately, how those interactions affect overall human health. That curiosity led me to focus on reproductive health and microbial ecology.”

Prepared for the ‘perfect research opportunity’

Ruschman had long wanted to attend medical school and still wants to, but after graduating from UK, she decided to first focus on research.

Lopez’s connections helped lead Ruschman to Cambridge.

“The opportunity to move to another country really excited me. I love UK, I love Kentucky, but I’ve spent my whole life just outside Lexington,” Ruschman said. “Being able to live abroad, expand my perspective and then bring that training back home to help my community is really special to me.”

With Cambridge’s Steve Charnock-Jones Ph.D., and Priscilla Day-Walsh, Ph.D., Ruschman could continue pursuing her passion: researching pregnancy and microbiomes.

“Cambridge offered an exceptional research master’s that allowed me to concentrate on the intersection of reproductive biology and human microbial communities,” Ruschman said. “This unique program lets you shape your own research. It gave me the tools to explore my niche area in depth under experts in the field.”

Her research focuses on how gut microbiome, the community of trillions of microorganisms living in the digestive tract, may influence placental development and pregnancy outcomes.

“This is just one of many promising avenues scientists are investigating to support safer, healthier pregnancies and improve long-term outcomes for both mothers and infants,” Ruschman said.

After completing her Master of Philosophy, Ruschman started the NIH OxCam Scholars Program. She will continue her research and studies at Cambridge for two years, then she moves to Washington, D.C., to work with Suchitra Hourigan, M.D., at the NIH’s National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Disease.

“It’s an incredible Ph.D. program because it allows you to collaborate and conduct research across two world-class institutions,” she said.  

Ruschman’s University of Kentucky education continues to serve her well.

“At Cambridge, I’ve realized how much my research experiences and the labs I worked in as an undergraduate prepared me to think independently and critically,” Ruschman said.

For current UK students, Ruschman recommends connecting with the people and organizations who are eager to help.

“There are so many wonderful opportunities across campus, and so many people who genuinely care about student success,” Ruschman said. “That kind of support makes such a difference.”

To learn more about the AMBT program at Martin-Gatton CAFE, visit https://www.mgcafe.uky.edu/academics/programs/bachelors/agricultural-and-medical-biotechnology.