Amber Meeker didn’t arrive at Oklahoma State University with a perfectly mapped-out research plan. She showed up with a love of animals, a competitive equestrian background and a childhood dream of becoming a veterinarian.

Research, however, would become the thread that tied everything together.

Meeker grew up riding horses and spent much of her youth competing nationally. During a trip to Oklahoma for a horse show, she took advantage of a week away from school to tour colleges. It was the height of COVID-19 restrictions, and many campuses were closed. OSU was not.

She knew the university had a veterinary school, which immediately put it on her radar. But what convinced her was something less tangible.

“When I toured campus, I felt it,” Meeker said. “I felt the community. I felt at home. I thought, ‘This is where I’m supposed to be.’”

She applied and never looked back.

A researcher in the making

Although she always planned to pursue veterinary medicine, Meeker wasted no time stepping into undergraduate research. She joined the Freshman Research Program and entered the lab of Dr. Yong Cheng in the biochemistry and molecular biology department.

The placement was unexpected. Meeker is a zoology graduate from the Department of Biology, who also added natural resource ecology and management as well as a chemistry minor. Her academic path stretches across colleges and disciplines. But in Cheng’s lab, she found something foundational: mentorship.

“He has big dreams for all of us,” Meeker said. “He pushes us to apply for things we might not think we’re ready for.”

Carlyn Guthrie, a graduate assistant who advised Meeker, helped with that mentorship from the start.

“I started working with Amber in the fall of 2022 when she joined Dr. Cheng’s research lab as a Freshman Research Scholar,” Guthrie said. “Amber quickly excelled in her research and is always eager to learn something new.”

Meeker’s sophomore year brought fewer scholarships but more determination. She continued working in the lab over the summer and earned a publication. By her junior year, she received the Niblack Research Scholarship. In her senior year, she applied again and was awarded the Purdie Scholarship, an honor given to just four students.

Each milestone built not just her résumé, but her confidence.

Learning the language of cells

In Cheng’s lab, Meeker studies microvesicles, which are microscopic particles released by cells to communicate with one another. These vesicles carry proteins and signals that can influence how neighboring cells respond to infection.

If that sounds complex, it is. But at its core, Meeker explains; the work is about communication.

“How are cells talking to each other?” Meeker said. “And what happens when that communication changes during infection?”

Her research specifically focuses on how the lungs respond to infection. In her work, airway cells infected with Mycobacterium abscessus release tiny particles that signal macrophages, an immune cell that helps fight disease. Meeker studied how these signals influence whether macrophages promote or reduce inflammation and which proteins control that response.

The work has important implications for people with cystic fibrosis, who are particularly vulnerable to this type of infection. Understanding how immune cells respond could eventually inform treatment strategies.

Her impact in the lab extended beyond learning — it contributed to meaningful scientific discovery.

Cheng, an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has worked closely with Meeker since her first year in the lab.

“She conducted numerous projects focusing on host-pathogen interactions in cystic fibrosis models, and her hard work led to a co-authorship on a published paper in the Journal of Proteome Research,” Cheng said.

What excites Meeker most, however, is not just the data, but the discovery.

“In high school, I remember asking questions about microvesicles in AP biology, and my teacher said, ‘We just don’t know yet,’” Meeker said. “Now I get to be part of figuring out those answers.”

Across colleges and beyond comfort zones

Meeker’s academic journey is anything but narrow.

When she added natural resource ecology and management, it was to pursue specialized courses in fish biology, ornithology and wildlife biodiversity management. She also completed a chemistry minor, only one class away from qualification and fueled by a long-standing love of the subject.

Working across disciplines has given her a broader view of science and collaboration.

“It’s interesting to see what resources each department has and how they approach problems differently,” Meeker said. “You realize how important collaboration is.”

Cheng’s lab, for example, collaborates with researchers in the veterinary school on respiratory illnesses.
Through symposiums and cross-department partnerships, Meeker has seen how scientific questions evolve when multiple perspectives converge.

Being in a highly technical, cell-based lab has also strengthened her academic performance. Often, she learns about molecular mechanisms in the lab before encountering them in class.

“It’s taught me how to teach myself,” Meeker said. “How to read research papers, identify key findings and contribute to discussions.”

Patience, setbacks and a thousand photos

Research is not glamorous. Cells can die. Experiments can fail. Weeks of preparation can collapse because of contamination.

“It takes a lot of patience,” Meeker said. “My mom knows whether I’ve had a good week or a bad week based on whether the cells lived.”

She recalls one experiment involving a 96-well plate and multiple cell lines. The team took more than 200 images per day for five consecutive days — more than 1,000 photos total.

Moments like that reinforced the importance of teamwork. Meeker credits Guthrie with creating a supportive lab environment where questions are encouraged and collaboration is constant.

“We’re like a family,” Meeker said. “If someone is overwhelmed one week, others step in.”

Through those challenges, she learned resilience — and something equally important: it is OK not to know everything.

Presenting at more than 10 research symposiums, including a 10-minute showcase at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, pushed her beyond her comfort zone. Faculty and researchers asked detailed questions. Sometimes she had the answer. Sometimes she did not.

“I’ve learned it’s OK to say, ‘That’s outside the scope of this project,’” Meeker said. “That’s still a professional answer.”

Balancing ambition with intention

Meeker’s drive is unmistakable. At one point, she completed semesters with 20 and 21 credit hours to prepare for participation in the Disney College Program — all while continuing research.

But ambition has come with reflection.

As a freshman, she dropped a class where she could have earned a high grade because she realized she lacked passion for the subject. That decision created space for areas she cared about more deeply.

“I’ve learned I can push myself,” Meeker said. “But I’ve also learned when it’s worth it and when it’s not.”

That balance — between achievement and intention — has shaped her confidence as much as any award.

Looking ahead

This spring, Meeker graduated. She plans to go to veterinary school but until then, she will continue to gain experience and continue striving towards her dream job.

Whatever the path, research will remain part of her future.

“I’ve really enjoyed working at the cellular level,” Meeker said. “Even if I’m not studying this exact project forever, I want research to be part of my career.”

Her ideal path leads to a zoo, where she can combine clinical veterinary medicine with conservation. She is also open to working with exotic pets, where demand for specialized veterinarians continues to grow.

For Meeker, the specifics matter less than the purpose.

“Research has given me confidence,” Meeker said. “It’s taught me how to think critically, how to communicate clearly and how to work on a team. Those are skills I’ll use wherever I end up.”

Her work has not gone unnoticed by those leading her research experience.

“Amber is an outstanding undergraduate student,” Cheng said. “She had a clear career goal since she joined my lab in 2022. During her time as an undergraduate researcher, she has achieved remarkable success, serving as a first or co-author on several research articles. She is an exceptional member of our research team.”

From a 5-year-old equestrian to a published undergraduate researcher, Meeker’s journey reflects more than academic success. It reflects curiosity, resilience and the courage to ask questions others once answered with, “We don’t know yet.”

Now, she is part of the reason we do.

Photos by:  Ellie Piper | Research Matters Magazine

Story By: Page Mindedahl | page.mindedahl@okstate.edu