Jason King-Yin Ko ’01

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In only five years, Jason King-Yin Ko has completed a highly unusual feat: a triple major in physiological science, neuroscience, and psychobiology. Although they are each difficult majors in and of themselves, Jason has managed to excel in each one, graduating with a cumulative GPA of 3.79.

In addition to distinguishing himself in the classroom, Ko has also been actively engaged in scientific research. His Physiological Science Honors thesis, entitled “Expression of Peptide YY Gene in Different Regions of the Mouse Intestinal Tract,” was completed in 1998 under the guidance of Dr. John Walsh and Dr. Elna Zhukova in the UCLA School of Medicine and consequently earned him the 1999 Senior of the Year Award in the Department of Physiological Science. In addition, he has just completed a second honors thesis (in Neuroscience) on “Evidence for the Existence of Two Receptor Subtypes for Secretion for Inhibition of Gastric Motility in Anasthetized Rats” under the supervision of Dr. Helen Raybould in the UCLA Medical School of Medicine. This project was presented last April at the Experimental Biology Meeting in San Diego. Furthermore, he has co-authored several abstracts and some papers are currently in preparation. His accomplishments in research are highlighted by the prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Research Fellowship, the Presidential Undergraduate Fellowship, and the American Digestive Foundation/American Gastroenterology Association (ADHF/AGA) Student Research Award.

Last Summer, Ko participated in an internship at Harvard Medical School under Dr. Junying Yuan, who observes that, “during my nine years as a lab head, Jason is the most hard-working and efficient summer student.” Aspiring to become a leading researcher in the scientific field, Ko will continue his education by pursuing a Ph.D. in neurophysiology. G. Jennifer Wilson, assistant dean of Honors and Undergraduate Programs, has no doubt that he will find success wherever he goes. “Ko is one of the most gifted students I have ever met, and I am sure that the Nobel Prize awaits him someday.”