On the field, they're defenders. In the lab, they're trailblazers.
At Saint Michael's, Melanie Winters and Abby Roman are balancing two demanding worlds: Division II athletics and high-level neuroscience research.
The seniors recently contributed to a peer-reviewed article on a discovery that may challenge long-standing theories about Alzheimer's disease. A study that began with spider brains now spans human tissue. The joint research project with the University of Vermont identified the site where the progressive deterioration of brain cells takes place.
Seizing opportunities
Winters and Roman have contributed to the cutting-edge research while thriving as student-athletes. Winters plays soccer and this season has joined Roman on the lacrosse team.
"I think that there's so much to be learned about how you can really make your college opportunity what you want it to be," Winters said.
Winters, a neuroscience major from Montpelier, Vermont, transferred to Saint Michael's after her freshman year at Plattsburgh State. Her interest in the brain became deeply personal in 2021, when her brother was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer.
"I didn't really care what kind of research it was," Winters said. "It was about the brain. That was enough to intrigue me to pursue it."
She joined the lab during her junior year, diving into immunolabeling — identifying antigens, usually proteins, in tissue samples — and mastering techniques like pipetting.
"I've had a really hard time comprehending how groundbreaking it is and how it has the potential to change science and Alzheimer's as we know it," she said. "I think I'm almost hesitant to take it all in. … I'm just trying to take it day by day."
Roman, a biology major from Falmouth, Massachusetts, was drawn in by a developmental biology class taught by Ruth Fabian-Fine, a neuroscientist leading the project.
"I was just blown away," Roman said. "There are all these hypotheses of what's going on in Alzheimer's and different neurological disorders, but there isn't really any answer. Her research was taking it from a different perspective."
Saint Michael's seniors Melanie Winters and Abby Roman with professor Ruth Fabian-Fine, whose Alzheimer's research they've helped advance through undergraduate lab work. (Photo courtesy of Abby Roman)
The athlete edge
Fabian-Fine, who grew up in Germany and competed in fencing at Frankfurt University, said the same qualities that make Winters and Roman standout athletes allowed them to thrive in the lab.
"They have determination. They have commitment. And they have consistency," Fabian-Fine said. "I credit athletics for it. Athletics has instilled these traits in them. They have the same attitude with regard to research.
"It's always the athletes that are the best students."
Like many first-time researchers, both felt unsure of themselves early on. But that didn't last.
"That's normal. I think each one of us would be like that, but they didn't let that discourage them," Fabian-Fine said. "They were motivated to learn it."
Now, Fabian-Fine said they are among her most reliable research students — at any level.
"They're so proficient now. These are undergraduate students, and this work is way above undergraduate level," Fabian-Fine said. "You won't be a champion if you don't practice, and that's what they did."
Teamwork, dreamwork
Winters said values from sports — especially teamwork and communication — translated directly to the lab.
"Going all in to whatever role you're given is super important, whether it's sports or your academics or the workplace. Really embracing your role, it takes a lot out of a person, especially if you're not given the role that you necessarily want," Winters said. "But we all are working for the same goal. We all want the same thing at the end of the day, and just going all in with the role you're given is appreciated by others and also is honestly more fulfilling for yourself."
Though the lab and field seem worlds apart, Winters sees a clear overlap.
"I think the communication that it takes to be a research student, at least here, is very similar to the communication it takes to be on a (sports) team," she said. "There are so many moving parts all at once, and being able to communicate with one another and work with one another is super important. If you can do it in one realm of your life, I feel you can do it in another."
That mindset helped her take on even more this year — adding lacrosse to her soccer and research schedule while applying to graduate school programs.
"The first week back of classes I was so overwhelmed. I genuinely don't know if I can do all of this," Winters said. "But I think one of the biggest things for me and how I've been able to balance it throughout the past couple of years is just knowing that I'm doing everything I want to do, and if I were to just let this opportunity pass by, I know I would regret that so much more than working through the hard times and committing myself to all the work."
Pursuit of perspective
Perspective has also been key for Winters and Roman to thrive in and out of sports.
For Winters, the motivation runs deep.
"It's a privilege to be stressed out. Only my mom went to college, so I know it's a privilege to get a higher education," she said. "As many times as I've wanted to give up … I remind myself it's a privilege to have this opportunity and be able to do all the things I am doing. It's a privilege to be successful at it all. It feels so good to be able to balance it all and do all of it."
Roman carries that same perspective into her work — whether it's research, sports or volunteering. At Saint Michael's, she's also involved with the SMC Buddies program, which matches students with adults in the local community who live with intellectual or physical disabilities, and is a team leader for the campus community-service group Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts.
"When I'm at research, I try to just be a researcher," she said. "When I'm at SMC Buddies, I try to just be at SMC Buddies and not think about all the work that I have to do when I get home."
Small college, big impact
With fewer than 1,500 undergrads, Saint Michael's offers a small-campus feel, but for Winters and Roman, it's been a big-stage opportunity.
"Saint Michael's gives you that chance to show off almost. If you really want to do great things, people will actually notice because you're in such a small community," Roman said. "I've definitely had an advantage being at a small school."
"Even though it's a smaller school, the resources are endless," Winters added. "There's so much support. Even if you have a little bit of self-doubt, there are so many people to help back you up and pick you up when you fall."
Their coaches say the student-athletes' impact flows both ways — from lab to field and back again.
Soccer head coach Wendy Elles described Winters' impact: "A dedicated soccer and lacrosse athlete, Melanie is using her platform to raise awareness and contribute to Alzheimer's research. The time commitment is significant, requiring her to balance the demands of training and matches with her research work, but her passion for making a difference fuels her relentless dedication. It's a rewarding journey that highlights her compassion and determination to support those affected by Alzheimer's."
Winters, a neuroscience major and two-sport athlete at Saint Michael's, balances soccer and lacrosse while contributing to cutting-edge Alzheimer's research.
Lacrosse head coach Ashley Snow, who has coached Roman for four years and Winters this season, described Roman as an "extremely well-rounded, dedicated and driven individual."
"She spends an insurmountable number of hours in the lab focusing on her research, while also staying on top of all other classes and maintaining one of the highest GPAs on the team," she said of Roman, who has earned multiple Northeast-10 Conference academic honors. "Not only is Abby a standout student, performing potentially groundbreaking research, she is also a crucial piece of our defensive end on the lacrosse field, where we utilize her speed and shiftiness to often slow down our opponents' top attackmen. In addition to being a stellar student and committed athlete, Abby still finds time to volunteer in the campus community as a student leader for SMC Buddies."
For Snow, the research contributions of these two student-athletes are particularly meaningful.
"As someone who has personally watched family members suffer from neurodegenerative diseases, I am extremely proud to have not only Abby Roman, but also Melanie Winters, as student-athletes representing the women's lacrosse team and Saint Michael's College with their research on the topic," she said.
Choosing sports
Both Winters and Roman credit college athletics with shaping their identity — and their future.
"I wouldn't be here without lacrosse," said Roman, who was recently accepted into the Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Vermont and plans to continue working on Fabian-Fine's research.
Roman nearly chose a large university without sports but instead opted for Saint Michael's — and it changed everything.
"It's crazy looking back and thinking about how if I had chosen the opposite one, I would be in a completely different place. I don't even know if I'd be doing science," Roman said. "I'm definitely glad I ended up picking Saint Michael's. I feel like it's made me a more balanced and well-rounded person being able to also play a sport in college. Everything that I have found here has been great for me."
Roman, a biology major and standout lacrosse defender at Saint Michael's, combines her passion for science and sport in the college's neuroscience lab.
Winters, pursuing several graduate school options while considering medical school down the road, echoed that sentiment.
"I told someone recently that I'm scared for life off of a team, without that automatic support system, the automatic structure and the accountability of being on a team," she said. "That's something that has kind of shaped my college experience, learning that I need to be accountable for myself and others in a very positive manner and be able to express it positively."
She added that navigating expectations, especially in soccer, helped shape her resilience.
"All four years there were ups and downs of finding my role, being OK with my role, the expectations and settling into having that weight on your shoulders," she said.
"But I think it's the type of character development you don't really get anywhere else. Obviously in classes you have the expectations to get your homework done, get good grades … but there's something different about sports."
