Lisa Speake

Hartselle, Alabama

Birmingham-Southern senior biology major Lisa Speake spent last summer working on Parkinson's disease research at another university, and surprised a lot of her colleagues along the way.

Lisa Speake “My research mentor was surprised at the skills I already knew and procedures that I already understood,” Speake says. “I was ahead of other students in the program I participated in because the labs at BSC had prepared me for research outside of the classroom.”

Speake's research continues into her final year at BSC as she focuses on characterizing the intracellular mechanisms and responses of yeast cells to ether lipid cancer drugs.

A native of Hartselle, Alabama, Speake also credit BSC's intimate classes for helping her achieve the goal of going to medical school.

“The attitudes and helpfulness of the professors and the close community of students really are conducive for learning. If I could go back to my senior year in high school, I'd choose Birmingham-Southern again. I can't imagine myself going to undergrad anywhere else.”

Speake is involved with a number of organizations across BSC's campus. She is president of Beta Beta Beta (Biology Honors Society), vice-president of Alpha Epsilon Delta (Pre-Health Honors Society), and works as a biology and statistics peer tutor on campus.

After graduation, Speake plans to attend medical school but has not decided on a specialty she would like to pursue.