Paula Hoker

Hi, I’m Paula, and I’m an undergraduate assistant in Dr. Suvorova’s Lab.

I am a junior at USF and will be graduating in the Spring of 2022. I am majoring in Biomedical Sciences, and I hope to go to veterinary school after graduation. I transferred to USF the fall of 2020 due to COVID so I could be closer to home.

I also really enjoy playing rugby, and I hope to continue playing once COVID is over. Prior to working with Dr. Suvorova, I worked as a vet tech at Mahan Animal Clinic, and I had been wanting to get some research experience. A friend of mine had just graduated from USF, and said that he knew of a position that I might find interesting. He introduced me to Dr. Suvorova and her work with Toxoplasma gondii, and I was very intrigued. Her kindness and passion for her work was infectious, and I wanted to learn more. I had previously heard of Toxoplasma in a pre-vet class I took in high school because its main host was cats. It’s cool to be able to go more in depth by being on Dr. Suvorova’s team. Working with a parasite that’s primary host is cats is amazing because it’s relevant to my future career. I like to take care of animals which includes my dog, cats, geese, turkeys, and chickens. I have always loved animals and working with them my free time. My hope is to eventually become a veterinarian and it has been my dream since I was young.