In a world of possibilities, still thinking of home
This is one in a series of profiles showcasing some of Harvard’s stellar graduates. The student body of Harvard College outnumbers the population of Dalton Brunson’s hometown of Jackson, Ala. “I grew up wanting to go into business. It seemed like bankers were the ones who made it,” Brunson said. “And then my grandmother got sick — that’s what pushed me toward medicine.” Brunson came to Harvard to study biology, pursuing his concentration in the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology. He has thrown himself into research projects across the spectrum, from studying zebrafish at the lab bench to analyzing patient data. Given the directions he could follow, Brunson keeps his singular goal in mind: to serve rural areas with limited health care resources. Brunson was inspired to study Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology by the concentration’s emphasis on hands-on, independent research. He landed in the lab of David Langenau, associate professor of pathology...