Small Communities, Big Campus Experience
Credit: Tico Mendoza
NIELS LEVY-THIEBAUT, Biochemistry & Plan II
Niels Levy-Thiebaut is a biochemistry and Plan II senior focusing on improving health access and literacy.
Interviewed by Sowmya Sridhar.
What inspired you to become a biochemistry major?
I’ve always had a strong interest in wellness and fitness, as well as a fascination for how things work – from the human body to machines. Biochemistry gives insight into how humans work at a molecular level, and we learn a lot about the molecular process of disease. Since I’m premed, I thought that was really applicable and interesting. My other major is Plan II, so I felt like also doing a STEM major like biochemistry gave me a good balance of the humanities and the interdisciplinary sciences.
How have you explored your research interests at UT?
In the Freshman Research Initiative, I learned how to do 3D printing, laser cutting and biology lab methods. Then I joined a neuroscience lab to explore working in a wet lab and did some projects on C. elegans, or roundworms, and how they orient based on magnetic fields. But I realized I didn’t enjoy wet lab research as much as the other types I had tried. After that, I volunteered with a reproductive health advocacy group, surveying students about access and perceptions of emergency contraception at UT. I got to present our research at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in Denver, which was probably the highlight of what we’ve done so far.
“Polymathic Scholars made me excited to join a group of people who enjoy learning.”
You also volunteer with organizations that promote literacy. Why?
I grew up in France and moved to the US in sixth grade. I initially had a lot of difficulties learning in English since my literacy skills were below grade level. After catching up, I realized that I had been very fortunate and had a lot of resources to help. In high school, I joined a club called Book Buddies where we went to an elementary school every week to read with the kids. At UT, I volunteered with Reading Aces, a nonprofit that does similar work in Austin. You form a relationship with the kids you read to, and they see you as someone to look up to.
As a member of the Polymathic Scholars honors program, you help produce “The Unfinished Mind” podcast. What’s that been like?
I started listening to the podcast before getting to UT, and it really showed me the type of inquiring minds that were in Polymathic Scholars. It made me excited to join a group of people who enjoy learning about all kinds of new things. I eventually became lead scriptwriter and manager. I especially enjoyed finding ways to explain CRISPR to a non-science audience. I think that’s very applicable to medicine, where you have to explain science to your patients, and not all of them have a high level of scientific literacy.
You’re also a competitive powerlifter. How have you been able to continue your powerlifting journey at UT?
My high school had a gymnastics team, and through it, I fell in love with the strength training process. When COVID hit, I put together a home gym and started powerlifting. Freshman year at UT, I tried out for the team and got on. The team at UT is just so diverse. We’re doing so many different things on campus, but we're all united in this interest in powerlifting and growing stronger. The highlight of my time as a Longhorn Powerlifter was when I got invited to compete at the 2022 IPF World University Powerlifting Cup in Istanbul.
What are your future plans, and how has UT helped shape those goals?
I’ll be attending medical school next fall, and I hope to pursue something related to improving access to care and improving health literacy. I went to a very small high school, and especially coming from France, where I also went to a small school, I was a little nervous to come to UT, since it’s such a large research university. But it’s been wonderful getting that small-school experience within the programs that I’m a part of at such a big school that has so many resources and opportunities.