Student: Riley Bessetti

From an early age, Riley Bessetti was drawn to science. Now a fifth-year doctoral candidate in East Carolina University’s Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the Brody School of Medicine, she is expanding her expertise and conducting cutting-edge research in Dr. Karen Litwa’s lab.

Growing up in Madison, Wisconsin, Bessetti often accompanied her father to work at Promega, a biotechnical company where he has spent two decades rising through the ranks to become a senior instrumentation scientist. Inspired by his work, she initially pursued a dual major in chemistry and molecular biology during her undergraduate studies.

“I was trying to explore whether I wanted to go into chemistry, but instead, I was placed directly into biology,” Bessetti said.

Her undergraduate research in toxicology led to her first published paper, a milestone that solidified her passion for cell biology. That passion eventually brought her to ECU.

“I’m actually the second student from my undergrad to join Dr. Karen Litwa’s lab. The first was Emily Wilson, who published papers on hyaluronan in organoids. Her work was fascinating to me because I’ve always been interested in 3D modeling of organ systems,” she said.

Under Litwa’s mentorship, Bessetti is studying how our environment can affect brain development. Unlike many of her lab colleagues, who focus on genetic aspects, her research emerged from an unexpected collaboration.

Bessetti channels her love for science into mentorship and discovery.

That collaboration began when a research partner studying hypospadias discovered that sulforaphane — a molecule found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts —could prevent the condition. Intrigued by its potential, Bessetti applied this discovery to her work, investigating how in utero stress impacts brain development using organoid models. Her research explores whether sulforaphane’s biochemical properties can protect developing brains from oxidative stress.

“I’ve worked a lot with antioxidant pathways, and it’s been fascinating. I’ve also had the opportunity to present my research at conferences and collaborate with a lot of great people,” Bessetti said.

Recently, Bessetti has also turned her attention to cannabidiol (CBD), a phytochemical gaining widespread public recognition. She notes that while many people are unfamiliar with sulforaphane, CBD research has generated significant interest. Looking ahead, she envisions a future where compounds like these could be integrated into maternal supplements to enhance antioxidant capacity during pregnancy.

But for now, she’s focused on her recently published research paper in Molecular Psychiatry.

“We were able to combine an early model using 2D neural progenitor cells derived from a standard patient line, which wasn’t an autism-specific sample, just one of our controls. We used valproic acid to induce oxidative stress and an autism-like phenotype, and then we observed a reversal of many of those phenotypes with sulforaphane,” she said.

Bessetti’s research used the neural progenitor cells and a 3D organoid model. They also did a comparison with mice, using primary mouse cultures as a control to ensure that what they were seeing in their human samples was valid.

Balancing research with personal life can be challenging, and Bessetti is candid about the reality of graduate school.

“So, I eat, sleep, lab, repeat. A lot of times, I just want to turn my brain off when I get home. It definitely takes a certain kind of person to balance work and life,” she explains. “Then there are times when you’re preparing a manuscript or writing your dissertation, and you get home and just collapse on the couch, and that’s OK too. You don’t always have to be active. Honestly, I think we all struggle with balance.”

Despite the demanding schedule, she finds joy in mentoring undergraduate students at Brody.

“I would love to see more people getting involved in research at Brody. I love it, and it’s really fun, especially as grad students, because we get to mentor undergraduate students. Watching students grow from not knowing how to use equipment to running experiments on their own, it’s really rewarding,” she said.

Bessetti is also no stranger to getting lost in her work.

“I feel like you can get lost in an experiment. You’re so focused, and suddenly the whole day has gone by. I always tell my fiancé, ‘Oh, I’m just going to run into the lab to do my cell culture or take some images,’ and before I know it, hours have passed,” Bessetti said

Her advice for students interested in research? Dive in.

“I know that any person I’ve worked with closely would be open to having undergraduates in their lab, and it’s a really good way to dip your toes into research,” she said.

She emphasizes that research at Brody extends far beyond neuroscience.

“We have more than just neuroscience. There’s anatomy, cell biology, spermatogenesis, hypertension studies, and even more! Brody is full of research. I would love to see more people getting involved in research,” she said.

As for her future, Bessetti dreams of returning to Wisconsin and working at Promega, following in her father’s footsteps.

“The industry side of research is so vast. You don’t necessarily get as niche as you would in academia, but you get to work on a wide variety of projects. That’s what my dad does, and I would love to follow a similar path,” she said.

For now, though, she’s planted roots in Greenville.

“We bought a house here two years ago, and I’d love to stay in the area. We’re getting married in Charleston next year, so at least for the next year, I need to stay local and find a lab position. I love doing cell culture, anything that involves cell culture really scratches that itch in the back of my brain,” Bessetti said.