My Step project was to perform Undergraduate Research at the University of Dayton in Dr. Amit Singh’s Lab. Through my research, I investigated the role of a high-fat diet on the tissue-specific Alzheimer’s Aß42 gene in Drosophila melanogaster.

Working in the lab for the summer every day, I gained a lot of respect for researchers learning that research takes a lot of patience, time, and problem-solving skills. I worked with the graduate students and my undergraduate mentor on my own project of investigating the role of a high-fat diet on the Alzheimer’s Aß42 gene. The project is still continuing and I received the opportunity to present my research at conferences and symposiums. Although I enjoyed my research, I realized pursuing a route to become a Ph.D. was not for me. Through this, I strengthened my problem-solving skills and learned how to critically think. Most importantly, I learned how to work with others in the lab and gain leadership skills by performing my own project and training other undergraduates in the lab on how to dissect, mount, or take adult eye pictures. I worked on my public speaking skills by learning how to present my research at a level where the audience can comprehend what I was saying. On a worldly level, I learned a lot about Alzheimer’s and how many people it affects. Along with that, I felt like I got to fully comprehend how complex diseases are what is going on at a genetic level to cause these types of diseases. I realized some things are just so complex that there is not a simple answer to a cure. This made me gain a lot of respect for researchers and pharmaceutical companies who work so hard to push medicine to its frontiers.

The interactions between my PI and the undergraduate students really allowed me to make this transformation and fully grasp life as a researcher. Working in the lab every day, I got close to the other undergraduate and graduate students in the lab. I would work with the graduate students to make sure my project was running smoothly and get their help on certain procedures or stainings. The undergraduate students became my closest friends over the summer who I could pitch my problem-solving ideas too and get help on my project. For example, the coconut oil was separating out in the incubators and I would brainstorm with the undergraduate students their thoughts on how to get it to stay intact. With their help, I ended up coming up with a food making protocol that allowed for my project to further advance. My research PI then helped push me to critically think and fully comprehend on a genetic level what was going on in my project. He would force me to interpret my results and then explain why I was getting those results. This really allowed me to test my creativity and push me to develop a viewpoint of wondering why everything in medicine happens, instead of just accepting that it does.

Along with these interactions, I learned multiple different laboratory protocols that allowed me to learn how to pay attention to meticulous details and follow precise directions. Having my own project, I was required to perform all the experiments and protocols by myself. This required a lot of practice and determination before I could actually perform them on my own personal project. Using the GAL4/UAS system, the tissue-specific Aß42 gene was expressed in the fly’s eye. To research the effects of a high-fat diet, I first had to make fly food that was 20% coconut oil and amplify fly stocks in this food. From there, I collected data on the larval fatalities and adult survival rates. I also took adult eye pictures of the offspring to determine if the neurodegeneration worsened or improved. The next step was to then dissect in the 3rd instar larval stages, stain the eye disk with antibodies, mount the disks, and take confocal pictures of the eye disks to see the neurodegeneration at a neuronal level. From learning how to perform these protocols, I then received the opportunity to teach these skills to other members that joined the lab that may have not learned those protocols yet. This allowed me to expand my leadership skills while also learning how to teach someone in a way they would not feel overwhelmed and can grasp what I was saying.

While working in the lab, we had weekly meetings with the PI in which we would all present what we have done so far in our project, the data we have received, and the future steps we were going to take. This allowed me to keep track of everything I was doing throughout the weeks but also practice presenting in front of everyone in the lab. Originally, I was so scared to get up and talk in front of everyone because the genetic part to Alzheimer’s was hard for me to understand, let alone talk about it. However, over time I learned to get used to speaking and knew that if I messed up it was a learning experience. This prepared me to present at real symposium and conferences. I presented at a neuroscience conference at Wright State University where students and professors from around the MidWest came to talk. I got to answer challenging questions about my project that allowed me to think about everything on a deeper, neuronal level. Later in the summer, I presented at the University of Dayton’s summer symposium where I again presented to students and professors. I practiced my public speaking skill and learned how to present my project in a thorough yet concise manner.

Overall, this has been an extremely beneficial experience to me because not only did I learn how to problem-solve, work with others, critically think, and present my research, but I also get to add this experience to my medical school resume. Performing research validated me in my choice of wanting to pursue a path to becoming a physician and this research can help improve my chances of attaining this goal. I’ll be able to talk about this research on my medical school applications and in medical school interviews. Also, by forming a valuable relationship with my PI he can write me a recommendation letter for medical school. I can also carry all the traits, knowledge, and experiences I’ve gained from this experience not only into medical school but even throughout life.