Spending years in a biochemistry lab studying tRNA while enduring the social isolation of the pandemic isn’t exactly where most Fidelity employees got their start.
It is the case, however, for Alexandra Mullins, a 2024 graduate of NKU’s chemistry program. Mullins started her time at NKU as a research scholar, where six incoming freshmen get to tour each of the labs. In the spring of 2021, she joined Dr. Michael Guy’s lab — a decision that would shape her career for life.
Mullins’ involvement in the lab centered around Trm732 and its interaction with Trm7, yeast proteins that have a role in the development of intellectual disabilities or even cancer.
The lab also offered an opportunity for students to travel to conferences and present their findings — something Mullins believes has worked “very well” for her in her new field.
“I wanted to go originally into medical school, took all those courses, got involved in the lab and got a job at a hospital,” she said with a shudder, “I was, like, not for me. I could not imagine doing that.”

Mullins found herself planning backward, something her mom always advised her to do. She decided to take all those years of research and presentations and enter the financial field, seeking an analyst role.
“I didn’t realize it at the time because I was a freshman, but it was just a different kind of vibe going into [Guy’s lab],” she reflected, “He was like, ‘yeah, if you don’t want to do chemistry and want to make that bank, do what you want to do. Enjoy life.’”
That pretty much sums up the type of person Dr. Michael Guy is.
Guy currently serves as associate professor of biochemistry and director of Premedical Pathways Program at Northern Kentucky University. But those titles don’t accurately reflect all of the work Guy is actually doing.
Also a volunteer pastor at a Spanish-speaking congregation, Guy prefers people over science.
“I still love science, but what I’ve learned is people are more interesting and, honestly, more important,” he said.
Guy was looking to start his own lab after his time at Rochester Medical Center and the Mayo Clinic for his postdoctoral fellowship. It was towards the end of his postdoc when Guy decided it was time to run a marathon.
Louisville ended up being his ideal spot for this marathon, as the elevation ran similar to Rochester’s. He drove down with his wife and kids, and on the way back up, the bells of fate rang.
Having to pass through Cincinnati, on their way back, Guy and his wife shared a moment of awe. They hadn’t realized it yet, but it was the perfect fit.
“One thing led to another — I applied for the job and it felt right. I met with the department here and I could tell they really cared about students,” Guy said. “I realized that’s where I was really interested in is ‘where can I make a difference? Where can I be happy?’”
That’s the program he’s developed here at NKU. Unlike the leading programs in the U.S., NKU doesn’t have size and resources, but it does provide students with the unique opportunity to get hands-on experience in their undergrad.
That’s exactly what junior biochemistry major Alisha Detmer is taking advantage of.
Detmer currently serves in Guy’s lab after joining her freshman year. She’s following a similar path to Mullins after earning a research scholarship.

She sees this lab as vital for her career. To her, being involved means developing both hard and soft skills, like public speaking, researching and getting hands-on experience in the lab.
“Having that opportunity was something that I knew would help me, my resume and different hard and soft skills that I could use for preparing for medical school,” said Detmer.
But that’s not what any of the lab members favor most about their time in Guy’s lab.
“Not just in the lab, but outside of the lab, we make a good effort just having, like, social events. We’ll have a party at someone’s house, I’ll bring food, or we’ll find events we can go attend together,” said Ashton Davey, a senior in the lab.
Davey says his favorite part about the lab is having mentors like Guy, who don’t just care about academics but about the person behind it all.
Maira Faisal, a double major in English and biological sciences, finds this lab creates the at sense of community that can be hard to find in this field.
“A lot of science is based in community. When you’re doing research, you’re building on what other people have done. If you’re going into healthcare, you have nurses, you have physicians, you have CNAs — -everything,” Faisal said.

Guy believes this to be vital for the future of science.
His lab is federally funded by the National Institute of Health. He believes the first reason is to provide a basic understanding of these processes, the second: talent development.
“The government saw, many decades ago, that there’s still value in training scientists from areas like Northern Kentucky so that they can go on to do wonderful things,” he said.
That’s what attracted Guy to NKU in the first place. Having worked in some high-profile institutions, he saw the challenges students would face in the outside world and he wanted to do something about it.
“I see students who’ve graduated, and four or five years down the road, have changed their lives. They’ve maybe broken a cycle that has gone for generations and have been able to move forward,” he said. “At the end of the day, what I want for my students, for my own children, is that they have, you know, a life with opportunities and a life where they feel they have a purpose and that they find happiness and joy in what they’re doing.”
Even if that purpose lands them a role as a financial consultant, Guy is rooting for them all.