My STEP Signature Project

Using my STEP funding, I was able to work on a lab project related to Epstein-Barr virus and lymphoma. In certain populations, there is a high prevalence of EBV positive lymphomas, so my project is about variations in the gene BZLF-1 in Epstein-Barr virus and how that impacts immune responses against EBV positive lymphoma. More specifically, this study evaluated differences in BZLF-1 between EBV types and tumor presence in order to further evaluate the role of the gene in tumor generation, as well as to perform a functional analysis of T cells in response to EBV-BZLF1 antigens. The project has involved technical lab work, learning and utilizing bioinformatics, lots of writing, and presenting to research groups.

This project was transformational because it provided me with an opportunity to do my dream research in my dream field. As someone interested in infectious disease, genetics, and translational research, this project was the perfect meeting point for me in combining my interests and providing me with real-life skills that I will carry to my future endeavors. By the end of this project, I truly felt transformed into the person I imaged I’d be professionally my senior year of college. I had skills and knowledge and evidence of my work and growth. Everything I learned, including the confidence I gained, will stay with me forever, and I am incredibly grateful for it.

This experience impacted me personally because it allowed for my growth academically, personally, and professionally. In terms of my academic growth, I learned a lot about immunology, infectious disease, and genetics during my project. Additionally, I had to learn how to use bioinformatics in order to complete some of the data informatics portions of my research, which is a skill I never anticipated having to learn but is incredibly useful in research. I was able to complete my academic goals of contributing to a paper that will eventually be published, as well as completing a research project in my dream field. I was also able to learn about others research in our lab and our partner labs, allowing me to learn more than I had ever dreamed. This knowledge is something that I am positive will benefit me in my future career.

Personally, I grew a lot as a person due to the high-stress environment of laboratory research. There were days where my whole day was working towards an experiment that didn’t work, or sometimes my data didn’t look how I wanted to or the samples I used didn’t have as much DNA in them as I had hoped. Sometimes I just made mistakes. Regardless of all of this, I was able to complete my project anyways, and through that I not only did I gain confidence in myself, but I was confident enough to present my work at a lymphoma lab meeting to other professionals in the field. This confidence will definitely benefit me in all of my future endeavors.

In terms of my professional goals, I was able to gain real-life skills related to my field, as well as contribute to a publication and increase my network. I met so many incredible professionals who I will definitely keep in contact with for a long time. Besides for my contributions to the publication and the presentation I did, I am actually currently in the process of writing a P30 for the lab, which will summarize the entire project and its findings. The publication will be displayed on my resume and will ultimately help me professionally by not only providing an example of my knowledge and skills, but by establishing myself in the field. This opportunity would not be possible without my personal project and contributions to the overall study, which I would not have completed without STEP funding.

Overall, this experience has benefitted me in many ways, and more than I expected when I initially applied to the STEP program. I have grown academically, personally, and professionally, and I am tons of steps closer to achieving my goals in the future. Additionally, I am now able to contribute even more than I had originally intended to the lab by being the author of my lab’s P30. The skills and confidence I have gained during my research project are truly incomparable to any other experience I’ve had in my life and will absolutely put me on the path to success in my field.

STEP Signature Project – Undergraduate College of Medicine Research at The Ohio State University

  1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.

 

My research project focused on investigating the healthcare barriers that the underserved patient population experiences in Columbus, Ohio. To do this, my research team and I would attend a local referral clinic in Columbus, PhysiciansCare Connection, and would administer surveys, focus groups, and interviews. The later stages of this project included creating a global health curriculum for Urology residents based on the healthcare barriers observed to improve cross-cultural competence and better handle these healthcare barriers.

 

  1. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or transformation that took place.

 

The personal transformation experienced during this project was very significant. I was able to firsthand interact with patients and listen to their stories, from hearing their struggles immigrating to this country to their financial burdens to accessing healthcare. Seeing and hearing these stories allowed me to expand beyond my daily life into real-world problems people face in my own community. I have been able to see all kinds of cultures and lives at this free clinic, and beyond that, how medical professionals are trained to handle this in an effective manner with compassion and empathy. Seeing this enforced my goal of continuing in free clinics throughout my career, and more importantly, always hearing somebody’s story and truly trying my best to understand their struggles to form a connection and provide them the best healthcare experience possible.

 

  1. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project that led to this change/transformation.

 

Firstly, some of the most important interactions came from the patients themselves. I would be able to administer and talk to patients directly. Each patient came from a different walk of life, each walk of life coming with different struggles. One story resonated directly with me: an elderly man came in seeking healthcare and experienced significant cultural and language barriers in previous appointments. He was from the Middle East, which is where I was from. He told me about his struggles coming to this country with the hopes of providing a better future for his kids. This very story reminded me of my parents who came here 30 years ago with nothing but each other and the hopes of a better life for their kids. I remembered the same struggles they experienced with healthcare – having the same language and cultural barriers. Remembering this allowed me to form a better connection with the patients and be the representation and comfort that my parents struggled so hard to find.

 

Secondly, working with the residents and physicians allowed me to see how medical professionals handle these barriers in an effective manner. I was able to see the one-on-one interactions that make a patient’s experience at a free clinic as comfortable as possible. From checking them in to taking their vitals, there is so much that goes into addressing the barriers that underserved patients in Columbus face. For example, the simple act of providing a translator or greeting that was respectful to their culture made the biggest difference in their care. I one day hope to emulate this very quality and help patients feel as comfortable as the residents and physicians did in the free clinic I shadowed at.

 

Thirdly, the simple act of seeing how research like this the ability has to provide underserved patient’s comfort inspired me to incorporate this in my future career. My main goal in the future is to be a physician that not only treats patients, but also provide them the best comfort possible and to form a connection with each patient. Seeing how impactful research is, especially with the underserved patient population, by observing how they interact with patients and learning more about them to improve their quality of healthcare and life excites me to one day incorporate this into my career.

 

 

  1. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans.

 

This transformation is significant in my life because I plan to go into the field of medicine and become a physician. Seeing how powerful it is to be able to learn and connect with a patient in their quality of healthcare inspired me to emulate the very qualities that formed this deep connection between the medical provider and patient. In an underserved patient population, it is crucial to understand their unique struggles and life story in order to effectively treat them. This research project focused on just this and seeing this made me much more passionate about this research project and incorporating this type of research in my future career to help foster a deep connection with patients.

 

Identification of Cardiac Tamponade in the Emergency Room

  1. My STEP signature project fell under the category of undergraduate research. Within this project I was tasked with completing chart review research to identify if Cardiac Tamponade was better identified using ultrasound technology versus common identification techniques after admission to the hospital.

The project was transformational as prior to completing this STEP signature project I was a bit lost in regard to career direction. I came into college with aspirations to become a doctor and complete medical school at the time of my graduation. Through shadowing experiences, I became less certain about the direction of my career, however, I lacked concrete experience to better understand where I hoped my education to take me. Through this STEP signature project, I was able to work closely with a attending physician and with medical students to better understand how I could integrate clinical research into my future career.

Through this project not only was I able to determine what type of graduate school I wanted to attend and where I wanted my career to take me in the future, but I was also able to be a part of a transformation research experience in which I was able to identify lifesaving technology that can identify and diagnose cardiac tamponade in record time. Being a part of lifesaving medical advancements while also understanding my career path in life better was transformational.

One of the key interactions I had during this STEP signature project was that with medical students. Being an individual who entered my undergraduate career with aspirations to become a medical student myself I was greatly appreciative to be able to have direct contact with medical students and be able to ask them the questions that had remained unclear to me throughout my time as a student. The ability to finally get my questions answered gave me further clarity regarding my career path in the future.

Another greatly important relationship that I incurred during my STEP signature project was that of Dr. Prats. Dr. Prats, the principal investigator of the project, was able to give me insight as to how clinical research is conducted and how clinical research can be integrated into a healthcare career. I often was upset by the idea that once I became a practicing clinician, I might lose my role as a researcher. Having participated in many labs as an undergraduate and even teaching a lab I hoped to have research continue to be a part of my career. I now know that I can integrate both clinical work and research.

The research that I conducted was also transformational and led to the change in my career prospects as I was able to truly feel the impact of clinical research. This project showed me how impactful clinical research can be, as I was able to be a part of a team working to change the trajectory for the clinical course of cardiac tamponade. Feeling like I was a part of a major development in medicine allowed me to deepen my love for research and solidify a career path in clinical research.

This project was truly necessary for me to make a change regarding my future career and solidify a future in clinical research. I could not have had the experience or ability to question professionals in the capacity that I did if I had not participated in this project. Dr. Prats and his team of medical students allowed me to truly understand the course of medical school and make the difficult decision that it was not the right decision for me.

Furthermore, this experience allowed me to expand on the academic pursuits I have accomplished through my time as an undergraduate. With having spent time in labs throughout my schooling and having taught one myself, I have always wanted to see a more clinical approach to laboratory work and feel like I was having a larger impact on the medical community. Through this STEP signature project I was able to do exactly that.

STEP: Investigating Novel Bacterial Topoisomerase Inhibitors as Potential Antibiotic Candidates

Despite having to change my project multiple times due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, I am so glad to have the opportunity to complete my STEP fellowship conducting undergraduate research with Dr. Daniel Wozniak in the De partment of Microbial Infection and Immunity. My project was done in collaboration with Dr. Mark Mitton-Fry’s research team from the Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, and investigates the efficiency of Novel Bacterial Topoisomerase Inhibitors (NBTIs) synthesized by Dr. Mitton-Fry’s team, on eradicating Staphylococcus aureus, a common pathogen.

My first task during my STEP project was to work on sequencing the DNA of multiple strains of Staphylococcus aureus. This was a big goal for me because I had spent the previous semester working on this task, but was unfortunately unsuccessful each time. Instead of feeling discouraged, I felt motivated to tackle the job this time. I went through each step of the protocol, trying to figure out the reasoning behind each step, and asked the other lab members questions when I did not understand a step. This time I finally got my experiment to work! I was super excited and proud when I was able to finally get the DNA bands to show up on the gel. This experience showed me that experiments will not always go the way we expect, but through problem solving we can gain a stronger understanding of the science behind our experiments and ultimately become better researchers.

I always assumed research was more of an independent activity; however, my STEP project showed me the value of collaboration in the lab and with other researchers. One of my biggest goals for my STEP project was to develop a stronger understanding and responsibility over my project, and this was possible with the help of the other lab members. Every time I had a question about how to do a certain experiment or how to evaluate a certain set of data, everyone in the lab would be super friendly and willing to sit down with me to go over my questions. It has also been really exciting being a part of an interdisciplinary research project. Having the opportunity to hear from other researchers working on the same project but from different angles has been really insightful and exciting, and has shown me that no research is done alone. Everything is connected! This has helped bring a new perspective of research to me, and helped me appreciate my work even more.

Through this STEP experience, I was able to gain more independence on pursuing a research project. I not only learned how to conduct and plan my own experiments, but I also learned a lot about analyzing my data results using programs like Excel and Graphpad Prism. It has been really rewarding being able to present and explain my data to other people during lab meetings.

I am planning on presenting my research findings from my STEP project at the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum this year, which I am very excited for. As an aspiring physician, I ultimately believe these experiences will help me become a stronger critical thinker and problem solver and will help me stand out as a stronger medical school candidate. Thank you so much to everyone who has helped and supported me on this journey during my STEP project!!

Lack of breastfeeding as a risk factor for breast cancer

What my project was about:

My STEP undergraduate research project was focused on lack of breastfeeding as a risk factor for breast cancer, and investigating a possible strategy for prevention. During this project, we used mice modeling this risk factor, and treated them with the drug tamoxifen as a prophylactic treatment to avoid a precancerous environment in the mammary gland from forming. I conducted experiments throughout my project and worked in collaboration with my PI, Dr. Ramaswamy as well as other members in my lab.

Transformation:

I have been a member of Dr. Ramaswamy’s lab focusing on breast cancer research for the past couple years now. Throughout my time in the lab I have enjoyed being able to be a part of a field that I have always envisioned having a place in my future. The pandemic shifted my timeline slightly, to being later in the year than I imagined, but this ended up fostering my independence in the lab. Throughout my project, I learned many critical aspects that are important for a career in research to flourish. I learned about the publication process (by working on a literature review) and I also learned to improve my communication skills, and work confidently with my team to achieve our goals. My STEP project overall made me better equipped for my future, and taught me very important skills that I will need to succeed.

What events made the transformation happen:

During the course of my project, one of the most important I learned was how to navigate academic research journals, and the publishing world. I had the opportunity to work with other members of my lab and take part in writing a literature review on invasive lobular carcinoma, a subtype of breast cancer. This area of research is one that my lab focuses in. During the process of writing, I gained very important skills, one of which was learning the format and style necessary to put together a well-written scientific article. I also gained value from writing together with my colleagues, and being able to bounce ideas off of multiple people to come up with a comprehensive whole together was valuable in learning teamwork. I also was thankful to learn more about the publication process; in research and in the scientific world publication is the most important tool to portray your work to both peers and the public. I learned what is needed to gain acceptance within a journal, and also learned how the revising and final acceptance process works.

Another event I did during my project window was learn more about presentation of my work through a different route: preparation for public research forums like the Denman undergraduate festival that is coming up. In my lab environment, we do biweekly meeting where each of us presents our work to the other. Over my project, I got comfortable with public speaking skills when I took part in these, and it really prepared me well for the next event that I will be continuing with my project (research forums). I learned how to write abstracts succinctly and make a poster that is eye-catching and comprehensive. This is a critical skill in research, beyond publishing it is important to learn how to talk about work verbally to others.

Finally, throughout the actual course of my project, I gained teamwork skills and learned how to manage the workload that my project demanded. Because I worked with mouse models (of breast cancer risk), handling the animals independently and carefully is critical. There are specific timeframes that needed to be followed with live animals, and that sense of responsibility fostered my independence. With the support of the STEP grant, I was able to delve deeper into my project and take on more responsibility, while also coordinating experiments with my coworkers. I learned how to work well with a team, and how to problem solve on my own when things went wrong.

Why is this transformation important:

In the future, I would love to be a part of innovation in medical research. By participating in breast cancer research now, I was able to begin learning about the field and what is needed to succeed in it. The STEP experience allowed me to spend more time on my project than I ever could before, so I was able to take on multiple responsibilities and learn how to handle experiments on my own. This will be critical in the future, both to develop my scientific skills and to develop the sense of accountability and confidence that is needed in any career path. I am grateful to have learned about the process of publication as well, as this is something I wish to do more of in the future. My STEP project allowed me to take that first step now, and fostered the independence, scientific process skills, and presentation skills I will directly need in my future career in the STEM field.

STEP Reflection

My STEP project for the last few months was focused on undergraduate research on organophosphorus chemical nerve agents. There is no cure for exposure to these chemicals so the research focuses on synthesis of small organic molecules that may be able to reverse the lethal effects following exposure to the nerve agents.

Due to COVID-19 my experience with undergraduate research was limited, especially with hands-on experience. Despite not being able to do a lot of in-person activities in the lab I still learned a lot about potential graduate school opportunities and got exposure to what that path would be like. I think this project was beneficial for me because it gave me a better idea of what kind of areas I could study in grad school and that there are areas that really interest me, like organic synthesis. Especially because the research on reversal of nerve agents has the lot of potential to make positive change in the world. In lieu of in-person lab time, I was able to do literature research to look for synthetic strategies that may improve current techniques in the lab and to look for new compounds that may be synthesized in our lab for testing.

One aspect of this research that was important to me was that I felt like I was able to use a lot of what I learned in my classes and apply it to real-world situations. Since this lab focuses on organic chemistry and synthesis, everything I had learned in organic chemistry 1 and 2 at OSU was applicable. Organic chemistry was my favorite class and so it made me feel a lot more hopeful that there were career paths out there that would enable me to use all the skills and knowledge I accumulated taking all the chemistry classes at OSU.

Another important event was doing a presentation on this research in a public speaking class. It was an informative speech and I didn’t know a lot on the topic of organophosphates yet but it was very beneficial for me since I had to learn the history and about the research well enough to teach other people about it. This presentation also made me aware of the detrimental and lethal effects nerve agents have on people, in warfare, terrorism and even exposure to farmers via fertilizers in under developed countries where they don’t have access to proper protective equipment. I think it’s important for me to choose a career path where I know I will make a positive difference and finding methods to reverse organophosphate poisoning is something that will have a huge impact worldwide.

Overall, the time I spent doing undergraduate research in the lab made me realize how much I like working with my hands and how much I prefer working on a smaller scale. I always enjoyed coming up with syntheses in class for certain molecules and it was very fun to me to be able to do it in person and end up with precursor molecules that we would then use to create a different molecule. There are a lot of ways to modify one molecule to completely change its function which gave us a lot of options to work with and think about.

I think this STEP Project to do undergraduate research was helpful for me in choosing what I want to do after college. Prior to this project, I didn’t have a good idea of what I would want to do for a career, other than potentially vet school. I think this project helped me realize what type of work I enjoy and what topics I am actually interested in. I have always liked science but I really love organic chemistry and it has felt the most useful to be now that I’ve been exposed to real-world applications using it. I also realized that I like to create things and work with my hands, so synthesizing small molecules in a lab setting was really enjoyable for me, especially because there are so many options to be explored and different synthetic strategies to implement. Although I have not made a firm decision on what I want to do after undergrad, I feel like I know myself better and will have a better idea of what paths I might like to try out.

 

This is a synthetic plan for a precursor molecule I made for a fellow undergraduate student to use in his syntheses.

This is some literature research I did to look for new compounds/precursors that may be able to be synthesized in lab and other strategies that may work.

STEP Signature Project – Effects of Normalization of Anxiety in Social Media

My STEP Signature Project was in undergraduate research. Specifically I worked in the health communications lab to lead and write-up the results of my own project on the effects of normalization of anxiety on social media. Through questionnaires we explored how normalization of anxiety could lead to self-diagnosis of viewers for having an anxiety disorder themselves.

Through my project my understanding of myself and the world were changed and transformed in multiple ways. I learned that I was a lot more capable than I had initially believed. Through my STEP project I was able to see myself grow in how much responsibility I believed I could handle as well as my understanding of the leadership skills I believed I possessed. My understanding of the world was also changed through my research, as I was able to explore and learn more about the importance of mental health, how to communicate it, as well as how social media impacts us all. Through the STEP signature project I was able to deepen my understanding of not only myself, but also the intricacies between mental health, such as anxiety, and social media.

One of the events that led to deepening my understanding of myself was when I had to start writing up the paper on my project. It was my first time ever being first author on a scientific literature piece and it was very daunting at first. I wasn’t sure if I was capable enough to handle such a large responsibility. Furthermore, I had to finish my abstract by a certain date because I wanted to submit it to a conference in hopes of being accepted. Thanks to guidance by my PI I was able to complete and review my submission in time. In the end I unfortunately was not accepted to the conference, but that didn’t faze me. This was because I had learned so much about myself simply by going through the process of writing up and submitting, such as the fact that I could handle so much responsibility and was capable of more than I thought.

Another interaction that deepened my understanding of myself, and the world really, was analyzing the results of my research project. As a biology major, I do not deal with a lot of statics. However, for my research project we had to quantify my qualitative data. While my PI was there to guide me and help me along in the process, it was really interesting to analyze and interpret the results through statistics. This meant that when we were making the scales for rating during just the design process, we had to make sure they could be quantified later. It was great to gain an understanding of something that wasn’t in my usual field, but then to also see how it related back to my area of interest and helped me understand if my hypothesis were actually significant or not.

Of course, my research itself changed my understanding of the world. While it is obvious that social media has an impact on mental health, it was very riveting to find out the unintended consequences it was also having, that may not be being considered as in depth as other effects currently are. For example, my research looked at how the normalization of anxiety on social media posts, specifically on Instagram, could lead to an increase in self diagnose of the viewers. Essentially, posts that over normalized anxiety disorders or maybe incorrectly portrayed the mental health disorder could influence viewers to believe they also had the disorder. This is separate from whether or not they actually have a disorder, as diagnosed by a medical professional. This has a lot of practical implications that definitely changed my perspective on how intricately social media affects its participants.

This transformation is significant because it directly ties into my personal, professional, and future goals. As an aspiring physician, this research was important because properly dealing with the unintended side effects that social media has on mental health is something that I aspire to achieve. By understanding the mediating effects I will be better able to give insightful advice to my patients. Finally, just the process of doing research is important to my personal and future goals. This is because as I go through medical school and become a physician I need to be able to surpass limits I believed I had, like I did through writing up my paper. I was able to learn how interconnected different fields are as well, which will help me in my future and professional goals to collaborate between different fields.  Through my STEP Signature Project I was able to take many steps towards not only broadening my horizons and understanding of the world, but also in achieving my future goals.

Revealing the Heart’s Molecular Messengers: OSU Medical Center Research

 

My virtual research presentation at the DHLRI symposium (gif)

Virtual research presentation at the Wexner Medical Center DHLRI symposium.

The Project:    While it’s not every day that we get to make discoveries in medicine and disease, my STEP Signature project gave me the opportunity to do just that. I spent this past semester conducting cardiac electrophysiology research with Dr. Thomas Hund at the Wexner Medical Center. My research project investigates cardiac fibrosis and the onset of arrhythmia and heart failure. The project aimed to identify molecular signals that trigger the spread of fibrosis, and the findings could later be used to treat cardiac disease. Though the STEP-portion of the project has concluded, I will continue to run experiments and analysis this semester as part of a senior research thesis.

The Transformations:   The way I think about problem-solving, my own abilities, and research as a field were completely changed. Before I began, I didn’t know just how much work went into developing the questions researchers pose, and about the amount of effort that goes into developing the project. Now that I’ve walked through each step of the research process though, now that I have come out of it and seen fruition in my work, I have a much better appreciation of the science behind the human body, the scientific process, and what it really means to be a researcher. I feel a lot more confident in my critical thinking abilities; even coming up with the initial question of “how do these cells communicate?” was something I wouldn’t have thought of before.

 

The friends (and mistakes) I made along the way:       I can attribute this change in my thinking, at least a large part of it, to the mentorship of Dr. Hund and one of the grad students in the lab, who I worked with a lot and would constantly learn from. Their guidance taught me how to look at things in a different light, from a different angle, and very often with a different attitude. They held high expectations for my work and were flexible between in-person and virtual work. Most of all, they gave me a new perspective on the way that I approach problems and roadblocks, and without their help, I wouldn’t have been able to see research the way I do now.

Importantly, they were there during the many times when an experiment would fail miserably go wrong and I would have to figure out why. Would I get frustrated? Sure. But no matter what happened, they were there to offer insights and encouragement. They pointed me in the right direction and let me figure it out for myself; that enabled me to modify my experiments and analyses in order to yield successful, useful results.

Despite the setbacks, there were many events that made them worth it. I presented my research at the Wexner Medical Center Heart and Lung Research Hospital virtual research symposium in October, and that event was MONUMENTAL in building my presentation skills. By preparing my presentation, I learned how to communicate very complicated ideas in a way that people who aren’t familiar with the work could understand. It also helped to build confidence in my own abilities. Not only did I feel comfortable with my performance at the event, but I was awarded the 1st place undergraduate award in the poster competition!

Virtual symposium awards ceremony - I was awarded 1st place in the undergraduate poster competition.

Virtual symposium awards ceremony for the undergraduate poster competition.

 

BMES Conference

I attended another virtual research conference and was excited to learn about other research in BME.

Significance:     This transformation in the way that I think helped me to solidify what I want to do after graduation. I knew since high school that I wanted to work with science, and in college, I thought that work would be making medical devices; but this experience has helped me specify that I want to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering and do research for my career. I plan on attending a biomedical engineering doctoral program in the fall, and I can’t wait to get started. This experience gave me the opportunity to dive head-first into research, which in turn helped me understand more about myself, my interests, and my goals. I look forward to taking these lessons and transformations into my career. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity, and I thank the STEP team, Dr. Hund, and the lab for their support through it all.

 

Researching Alternative Antimicrobials in Veterinary Medicine

What my project was:

My undergraduate research STEP project was researching the use of copper-infused fabric as an anti-microbial in canine Staphylococcus sp. infections. During the course of the STEP project, I met with my PI, Dr. Dubraska Diaz-Campos, my laboratory supervisor, and one of the attending clinicians in the Department of Dermatology at Ohio States Veterinary Medical Center in order to compile existing literature and create a methodology for our project. While the course of my STEP project has ended, this research will be ongoing and I will continue with the experimental phase throughout the semester.

What made this experience transformative:

One thing that I had always wanted to do when I got to OSU was to conduct undergraduate research. This project allowed me to do just that, and I got to see all of the facets that go into research. I also learned that the literature review process can be tedious and may not go as fast as one would like. At the conclusion of my STEP project, we had just finished our literature review and we are now finalizing our methods before starting the experimental phase of our project. I think that this experience was transformative because it allowed me to take charge of a project that both helped to further understand my knowledge in microbiology and veterinary medicine and to help me gain practical research experience. While many of my classes have exposed me to the research process previously, I never got to conduct a true research study like this one. I also learned to hone my communication skills from working in a team setting on this project. Overall, this experience has provided me with practical skills that I will hopefully utilize in my future career.

What events led to this transformation:

This past summer, I was looking to do a research project with my lab. The lab I work in is the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory at OSU’s Veterinary Medical Center. We mainly conduct diagnostics for patients at the hospital, but there are always a few research projects going on as well. I had a few ideas in mind for my own research project, but due to COVID-19, we were unable to spend money on research. However, that’s when my PI was approached by the Dermatology Department, and they proposed a project that would require minimal expense and would be quick. This proposal turned into my current project, as my PI immediately brought me and another fellow student at the lab on board. Shortly after the fall 2020 semester started, we had our first project zoom meeting, where we discussed the logistics of the project and began to look for literature related to our topic.

Copper fabric has been used extensively in human medicine, and copper itself is known for its inherent antimicrobial properties. However, its use in veterinary medicine has been extremely limited, and our goal with our project is to find alternatives to traditional antibiotics that may foster antibiotic resistance. The positive about using copper is that there is very little resistance to it, and virtually none in Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, which is the main Staph. species that infects dogs. Like MRSA in humans, MRSPs are becoming increasingly more common in canine dermatological infections, which is why this research is so important. Through our literature review and planning, I was able to come to understand antimicrobial resistance at a higher level, as well as understand how alternative antimicrobials may work to combat infection.

Through our many literature review and methodology zoom meetings, I learned how to write up a method for conducting research that can be followed by any member of the team. Since I and the other student involved were the ones who came up with the methodology, we learned how to develop a practical and replicable experiment. I also learned how to skim other research papers for important information in order to contribute to our methodology. I also learned how to explain and run through complicated calculations that we had to undergo in order to create dilution factors that can be reported in a paper from a standard value and estimated number of CFUs.

While at the conclusion of my STEP project this research is still ongoing, we are hopeful that we can start with the experimental phase soon, where I will learn even more about data collection and microbiology. I am excited to utilize what I have learned so far in both my classes and in my future career. This experience was a transformative one because it allowed me to experience the process of research for the first time in a laboratory setting, and it helped me to develop original ideas in a team setting. ‘

Why this transformation is valuable

As a student aspiring to go to veterinary school, I want to learn more about the infectious disease process in animals and how we can use alternative antimicrobials to reduce antibiotic resistance. I have always been profoundly interested in microbiology, and working in a microbiology laboratory has allowed me to learn a large sum of information on common pathogens in animals and zoonoses. This research project has let me take my knowledge a step further and allowed me to apply what I learned working in the lab to a practical study that can be applied to both veterinary and human medicine. Learning how to conduct research in a team setting has also been valuable to honing my communication skills. Overall, my STEP Signature Project has allowed me to explore the field of veterinary research and develop skills that will one day be useful to me in my career path.

Staphylococcus pseudintermedius on blood agar

Nationwide Children’s Hospital Psycho-oncology Research

My Project: For my STEP Project, I spent the semester conduction psycho-oncology research with Dr. Cynthia Gerhardt at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The project I worked on investigates benefit finding in children with advanced cancer and also looks at the correlations between parent and child benefit finding. Benefit finding is the idea that individuals can see positive outcomes from negative life events. I assisted with literature review, writing the research paper, data analysis, and data organization.

Transformations: Pediatric cancer survival rates are very high, but many of the children in my study will most likely die from cancer. Most people might think that children and their parents in this position would not want to participate in a research project near the end of their life, but it is quite the opposite. Nearly 80% of all participants recruited agreed to be in the study because they knew how important it was to improve care for children and families with cancer diagnoses. This research project helped correct my assumptions about how people want to spend their time before death.

Experiences: One of the most impactful experiences that has led me to shift my view on research near death is from my time transcribing interviews. Hearing their stories and how their cancer diagnosis has had a tremendous impact on the way I view children with advanced cancer. The interviews involve questions about decision making regarding their health care, how they share information with their friends and family, and what they have learned from the experience. I have heard heart-wrenching stories from many study participants, but the majority of them find something positive about their experience.

From these stories, I have come to understand how important it is to do research in patients close to death. There is room for improvement in the understanding and care of these individuals and the treatment they receive. There are very few research studies that are conducted on the end of life of pediatric cancer patients, and further exploration of this life event. This research would improve the quality of life for the patient and family in the time that they do have left.

These realizations have filled me with more energy to continue conducting research in pediatric cancer patients. I plan on applying for a pediatric clinical psychology program after a year or two of working as a research assistant. My career goal is to be a clinician and researcher to help young people with chronic and terminal illnesses.

Significance: This STEP project has also transformed the way that I want to proceed as a student researcher in the future. My research project interests me and I continue to have more questions about how significant changes in health can affect the psychology of children in both good and bad ways. I was able to secure a job with my P.I. this semester because of my dedication to her lab. I will continue exploring my interest in psycho-oncology through this position and in the future through a Ph.D. program as well. Dr. Gerhardt is a valuable mentor and continues to guide me towards my career goals and connect me with other potential mentors. I am grateful for this experience and having the financial support of the STEP program.

My first day as a paid research assistant!