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.