My STEP Signature Project involved traveling to Chicago from October 5 – October 9 for the annual Society for Neuroscience conference. This conference is often regarded as the largest conference for neuroscience research in the U.S. and is a spectacular way to connect with other large figures in the neuroscience research field. The STEP program offered me the chance to travel to this conference and present the research project I’ve been working on in my lab to provide more visibility to my work. 

During my five days in Chicago, I gained valuable insights into both the field of neuroscience and my perspective on research. I attended a variety of poster presentations and talks that broadened my understanding of neuroscience. Many posters and talks even focused on cutting-edge research in plasticity and perineuronal nets, which are closely related to my project. This experience also helped me recognize that pursuing a solely PhD-driven path through graduate school may not be the right fit for me. While I have a passion for research, I realized that I don’t see it as my primary career focus for the long term. Instead, I aspire to combine research with a career in primary care, allowing me to both conduct scientific work and directly impact people’s lives. Finally, the event underscored the collaborative nature of science. Unlike my current research project, which I manage independently, I saw firsthand how working as part of a team can significantly enhance productivity and lead to more impactful outcomes.

At the conference, I concentrated on deepening my understanding of neuroplasticity and perineuronal nets, the main focus of my research. Using the app provided, I identified relevant sessions and attended as many posters and talks as I could. I encountered some fascinating projects, including studies that used lasers to isolate perineuronal nets, research on how maternal deprivation influences their development, and various models of neuroplasticity. The latter especially captured my interest because, before the conference, I was only familiar with Hebbian plasticity, which involves increased synaptic efficacy from repeated presynaptic stimulation. I was introduced to other models, such as homeostatic plasticity and metaplasticity, which regulate brain function through distinct mechanisms. This expanded perspective gave me a much deeper appreciation for the complexity of neuroplasticity.

The conference also helped me clarify my academic and career goals. Although I had always questioned whether pursuing a PhD was the right path, this experience solidified my decision. Each day, I spoke with recruiters at the graduate school fair and learned more about the demands of graduate programs, which require an intense focus on a single research area. While I’m passionate about neuroplasticity, I realized I don’t want to dedicate my entire career to studying one specific topic. Conversations with current graduate students also provided valuable insights; one student mentioned that they didn’t obtain viable results until two to three years into their program. This highlighted the need for a deep commitment to the research process, along with the patience and resilience to persist through setbacks. I do enjoy research, but I envision a career that integrates it with other interests, rather than one solely devoted to it.

Moreover, a central message at this year’s SFN conference was the importance of collaboration in scientific research. It became clear that uncovering the mysteries of the brain requires the combined efforts of many researchers, as no individual can achieve this alone. Reflecting on my own experience, I recognized how solitary my undergraduate research has been, conducted mostly on my own with occasional guidance from my PI. The conference underscored the contrast between my independent project and the larger, team-based research I saw. While I have a limited set of results, projects with collaborative teams yielded impressive findings that significantly advanced their goals. One striking example was my friend’s poster, which detailed a study utilizing diverse tests and cutting-edge techniques like optogenetics to manipulate neuronal activity. Witnessing the scale and impact of such collaborative research made me realize that after completing my current project, I want to be part of a larger team working on more ambitious endeavors.

The changes I experienced at the conference will have a lasting impact, starting as soon as next semester and continuing for years to come. In the short term, the new concepts in neuroscience I’ve learned will be instrumental in writing my research paper next semester. I’ll need a variety of references, so I plan to explore publications from the labs I connected with that study perineuronal nets. I may even reach out to some of the researchers for guidance on phrasing certain parts of my paper. Looking further ahead, these realizations have solidified my plans to pursue either an MD or MD/PhD after completing my undergraduate studies. I also now know that I want my future research to be part of a larger, collaborative team, allowing me to achieve more impactful results and engage with cutting-edge techniques. Overall, the conference not only deepened my understanding of neuroscience but also provided clarity on my future path and the kind of research environment I aspire to be in.

For my STEP Signature Project, I conducted undergraduate research in the Molecular Genetics department at Ohio State. My project focused on understanding melanocyte heterogeneity using single-cell RNA sequencing. Understanding the role of melanocytes in melanoma development allows for potential treatments to be found in the future. I utilized Jupyter Notebook and Python, working within Scanpy, to analyze the sequencing data and perform essential computational functions.

Through this research experience, my understanding of myself as a scientist and my approach to problem-solving in molecular biology transformed significantly. Before this project, I viewed research as primarily a technical task—following protocols and generating data. However, as I engaged with complex datasets and encountered the challenges of interpreting single-cell RNA sequencing results, I realized that research is as much about creativity, patience, and critical thinking as it is about technical skills. This shift in perspective helped me understand that the process of scientific inquiry requires persistence and adaptability, especially when working with new tools like Scanpy. I also gained a deeper appreciation for the role of computational biology in understanding cellular diversity, which broadened my view of the research landscape.

One key experience that contributed to this transformation was learning to code in Python for data analysis. At first, I found programming intimidating and frustrating, but as I became more proficient, I realized the power of computational tools in unraveling biological complexity. Each time I successfully wrote a script or corrected an error, I felt a sense of accomplishment that boosted my confidence as both a researcher and a problem solver.

Another significant aspect of my project was working with single-cell RNA sequencing data, which presented both technical challenges and opportunities for discovery. The sheer volume of data and the complexity of distinguishing between different cell states and subtypes pushed me to develop a more strategic approach to analysis. I learned how to troubleshoot issues with my datasets and tailor my methods in Scanpy to extract meaningful insights. This experience taught me the importance of precision and critical thinking, as even small errors in coding or data handling could drastically affect the results.

Moreover, the mentorship I received from my research advisor and lab colleagues played a crucial role in my transformation. They provided guidance not only on the technical aspects of the research but also on how to approach scientific problems with curiosity and resilience. Their feedback helped me understand that failure is a natural part of research and that perseverance is key to making progress in scientific inquiry.

This transformation has been valuable both personally and professionally. It has solidified my interest in pursuing a career in research, particularly in the field of computational biology or molecular genetics. The skills I developed—such as coding, data analysis, and problem-solving—are directly applicable to my future academic and professional goals. Additionally, this experience taught me the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in science, combining wet lab work with computational analysis to gain deeper insights. As I continue my academic journey, I am more confident in my ability to tackle complex research questions and contribute meaningfully to the field.

For my STEP Signature Project, I decided to spend my summer working full-time as an undergraduate researcher in a biochemistry and molecular genetics research lab under the guidance of Dr. Renee Bouley and Dr. Ruben Petreaca. My project focused on determining the role of PRMT5 in DNA double-strand break repair processes. Genetic deletions often lead to mutations and the development of many cancers. Understanding the role of PRMT5, an epigenetic regulator, is a crucial step in advancing cancer prevention research. My primary goals for this project were to create a solid foundation in my research experience by learning the proper research protocols, expanding my understanding of biochemistry and molecular genetics, and enhancing my desire and aspirations to pursue medicine and biomedical research.

Before my project, I was hesitant about my capabilities as a researcher and the impact a single person can have in the field. I had this stigma that since my research lab was a bit smaller compared to most people’s, my contribution to advancing knowledge would be insignificant. However, as I continued to read publications and repeat research techniques, my understanding of genomic instability and cancer as well as my capabilities to effectively perform trials increased over time. Eventually, I realized that it is impossible to know everything and that research is a collaborative effort across the field to garner an understanding of our world. I realized that research is a very slow process that takes a lot of patience and care. With this newfound realization, I eliminated doubt and began to effectively give back to the field. My procedures took less time and I started to get more results. I struggled to extract much protein but eventually got some (indicated in the photo). The computational side of my project also allowed me to understand the homologous interactions formed between the yeast and human homologs of my protein and gene of interest (indicated in the photo). Low RMSD values indicate high similarity between the two structures, allowing researchers to expand cancer knowledge using yeast.

Another realization I made is the importance of research in medicine. Since I can remember, I’ve always had an interest in healthcare. Oftentimes, when the word “healthcare” or “medicine” is mentioned, people’s first thought is a doctor treating a patient. However, what people fail to realize is the necessity of research to find these treatments, the importance of trial and error to find effective results, and the complexities of finding the knowledge society expects physicians and healthcare professionals alike to provide to patients. This STEP experience has provided a different perspective on the field and shifted my career goals to include research. Scientists conducting research is the “behind the scenes” of healthcare. I used to believe that putting full effort into pursuing a career in healthcare as a physician is the best way to help the most people. However, through STEP, I realized the importance and contribution researchers have on society, which has shifted my career goals to include some form of research as well. This experience has made me grow academically by learning more about biochemistry, molecular genetics, and the role of certain characters in DNA double-strand break repair pathways, personally by forcing me to grow more patient when setting up experiments and waiting for results, and professionally by making me realize that research is something I would like to pursue in addition to practicing as a physician in the future.

For my STEP Signature Project, I spent the summer working full-time as an Undergraduate Pelotonia Scholar within the Experimental Hematology Lab under Dr. Natarajan Muthusamy. My primary focus was learning the technique of genotyping, which served as an introduction to the fundamental skills of lab work. Genotyping, a method used to analyze genetic variations, was my entry point into understanding the detailed processes of cancer research. I learned how to design and execute experiments, troubleshoot challenges, and analyze data, all of which formed the foundation of my laboratory experience.

Initially, I approached the project as an opportunity to gain technical skills and become familiar with the day-to-day operations of a research lab. I wanted to master the scientific procedures and protocols that would allow me to contribute effectively. However, as I progressed, my perspective shifted. What began as a task-oriented experience—focused on mastering genotyping techniques—transformed into something much deeper. I started to understand that the data I was collecting wasn’t just about gaining technical expertise; it was about contributing to the broader mission of the lab: finding solutions to improve patient outcomes.

Through this hands-on experience, I saw how closely research is tied to patient care. The experiments I conducted weren’t just practice for lab work; they were essential steps in a long process that could eventually lead to real treatments. This shift in understanding was a turning point for me. I came to realize that research and clinical care are not separate entities but two sides of the same coin. The work we do in the lab directly impacts the development of therapies that could one day save lives.

On a personal level, this project made me more resilient and adaptable. It showed me that the journey to becoming a leader in the medical field isn’t just about mastering scientific skills—it’s about cultivating the mindset, persistence, and empathy needed to drive meaningful change. This experience has prepared me for future challenges and has reinforced my commitment to contributing to both research and patient care in my future career.

After collecting data on various people using a motion capture lab, we were able to create simulations for further analysis. Via the analysis of human movement, biomechanics helps us quantify human movement. Analyzing and putting numbers to movement allows us researchers to gain a different perspective on how people move with common orthopedic conditions.

From my perspective, I thought research was easy to get into, and you started right away. That is NOT the case. It takes a lot of time and effort to get a research project going, and even if it is set up properly, the methods can have many bumps along the way. Patience and persistence goes a long way in research, and those characteristics are needed when working with human subjects. It is also difficult to get human subjects to participate in research. Research is not all rainbows and butterflies! 

The training in order to do research with human test subjects took me over a week to complete. It took around 25 hours for me to even step foot in the lab. Once I got into the lab, data collection had not started yet, therefore I was tasked with critically analyzing similar research articles in order to find ways to critique or improve our methods. Biomechanical research is extremely difficult to understand, especially the statistics and figures. I found myself asking for help and looking things up on the internet way more than I anticipated. 

The overarching goal of this research was to quantify human movement and compare before and after total knee replacement surgery. Luckily, this lab was already partnered with a surgeon to help bring us patients. That does not mean that getting patients was easy! It means that we had less of a barrier. Scheduling times that worked with the lab space, the patient, and the researchers was difficult.

Being a student at Ohio State, there are numerous opportunities presented for research. It is 100% worth it to find a lab that you feel valued in and passionate about the research. As an aspiring orthopedic surgeon, biomechanical research plays a huge role in how we understand the human body, and can prove that certain adjustments to procedures are needed or unnecessary.

As stated above, I am an aspiring surgeon. During medical school, the power of simulation is utilized a ton. Simulations allow you to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze things that would be unethical to experiment with in a live human. Therefore, a lot of medical schools use surgical and clinical simulation services. This along with understanding how to critically analyze complex research papers, while teaching me patience and persistence was a great experience that will aid in my journey to becoming a surgeon. 

During my STEP project, I worked on implementing a custom FEM solver called JAX-FEM for integration into a forging simulation video game to model the process of deformation-based manufacturing. This forging video game will be used by the HAMMER program at OSU for collecting data on material deformations to train neural networks for modeling deformation-based manufacturing methods such as hot die forging. Moreover, this project was part of the TEK8 program at OSU, and I am currently taking a class in which I will present an engineering design challenge to middle school students for teaching them about my research.

One understanding of myself that changed while completing this research was my confidence in myself and my ability to take on an unfamilar project in a research setting. I worked with PhD students and professors as well as graduate students and fellow undergraduates in developing the forging video game and had to learn many new subjects and push myself beyond what I normally would need to for regular classes. This achievement instilled a new confidence in me regarding my ability to solve difficult engineering problems on my own as well as gave me insight into the benefits of collaborating with others on a team-based engineering project.

Another transformation I had was a shift in my view of how difficult research problems are solved. While I may have previously thought that research is a very individualistic setting in which students and professors work on their own to solve their specific research problems, this experience taught me that engineering and research in general is a widely collaborative area in which students and teachers from various fields must work together to develop multidisciplinary solutions to difficult research problems.

One event that led me to the transformation above is when I had to figure out how to work with a custom FEM solver developed by a PhD student despite never having used FEM software before or learned about FEM. I had to get familiar with new software and study it along with relevent prerequisite materials to be able to understand how it worked so that I could modify it for integration into the forging video game. I also had to develop my own custom library for interfacing with the software to be used as an API for the forging video game server. My ability to take on this task greatly boosted my confidence in myself with regards to tackling difficult research problems.

Additionally, these transformations were influenced by the interactions and relationships I had with the professors and fellow students I worked with. I constantly had to collaborate with other students and professors in developing the video game so that my piece could be integrated along with everyone else’s pieces in creating the final project as a whole. Moreover, I had to collaborate with other students, including those from other schools, in gaining a better understanding of the custom FEM software I worked with so that I could integrate it into the game. Overall, the experience was a very collaborative and multidisciplinary process which greatly transformed my views on engineering research.

Lastly, the experiences and interactions I had with the people around me taught me about the importance of having strong relationships with those you are working with so that you can support each other in your individual efforts to avoid isolation and burnout. The people I worked with had very tight relationships with each other and supported one another in their individual struggles, allowing for greater productivity while avoiding mental fatigue and exhaustion.

This transformation is significant to my life because it has taught me some very important lessons in being successful as a researcher or when working on a team-based project in general. I have learned the importance of collaboration and emotional support as well as instilled new confidence in my abilities which I will carry with me to help me in my future career whether it be continuing with academic research or working in a team in industry to develop new technologies to improve the world around me.

I hope to use this experience to facilitate further achievements in academia and propel me further along in my career. I will use the lessons I have learned to continue to help develop new technologies to improve the world around me, as well as aid others in accomplishing their own goals. While this may only be a small undergraduate experience, I think it will have a deep and overarching impact on my personal growth and future success.

https://youtu.be/4C15Uviyt1o

My STEP Signature Project took place at the American Chemical Society’s Fall 2024 National Conference. I have been doing organic chemistry research with Dr. Hadad at The Ohio State University for over a year now, and I presented that research at the conference’s undergraduate poster session. Along with the poster session, I attended a lot of talks given by students and professors from around the country.

While completing my STEP signature project, I found a deeper interest in chemistry. Before attending the conference, I did not have any interest in the other disciplines of chemistry because I have not been exposed to them yet. Organic chemistry is one of the first chemistry classes that a chemistry major takes, and they learn about physical and inorganic chemistry later on in college. This made it hard for me to explore my research options since the first lab I looked at was an organic chemistry lab because I liked the class. I did not want to join a research lab that I did not know much about the subject. But as I was completing my STEP Signature Project, I was able to explore the other disciplines by listening to other chemists talk about their research. Even within the area of organic chemistry, there are different research types, such as synthetic and methological organic chemistry research. From this experience, I realized that I did not have to just stick to synthetic organic chemistry research going into the future if I found other areas more interesting.

During the project, I attended many oral presentations and poster presentations. Through these presentations, I was able to learn more about a variety of different disciplines of chemistry. One notable presentation was given by a professor who a giving an organic chemistry talk on a methological process that his lab was developing. The specific method that his lab was developing was to cyclize an enamine in a safer and more scalable method. Since I do synthetic organic chemistry research, I have not been very exposed to methodology, but this presentation made me more interested in it.

I also was able to talk to a lot of graduate students, industry chemists, and professors during my time there. I was able to gain insight into what their work looks like on a day-to-day basis. This allowed me to further narrow down my choices of what field of chemistry to study in the future. It also allowed me to think about what kind of job I want to have after I get my Ph.D. in Chemistry. This experience helped me to meet a lot of different chemists from around the country, and it was a great networking opportunity for when I apply to graduate schools.

My poster presentation was possibly the most impactful activity that I did. It was a great way for me to professionally talk about my research to chemists who understand what I am talking about. By speaking with other chemists from different fields, it allowed me to think about how my research can be interconnected with the other disciplines. Through this experience, I was able to talk to the other undergraduate student presenters around me. They were all doing a different types of research, and it was a great way to network and to further explore my options.

This transformation was significant to my life because I want to get a Ph.D. in Chemistry in the future. Since Ph.D. programs tend to take a long time, I want to be able to explore all the different fields of Chemistry before I start applying to different graduate schools. Also since I do not know much about the job opportunities after getting a Ph.D., talking to chemists gave me a few career options that I may be interested in for the future.

My STEP Signature Project was a research project through the Ohio State University that focused on Centrifugal Nuclear Thermal Propulsion. I worked as part of a team that designed and fabricated the engine testing structure. My main task was to design a filter attachment that would protect our measuring equipment from any harmful components in the exhaust. Over the two month period, I learned about design, manufacturing, and gained incredibly valuable research and development experience. 

Before engaging with this project, I had participated in two other research projects, but neither offered this level of freedom in the design experience. Initially, I found myself struggling to find solutions to the problem of how to actually filter the exhaust, as I was approaching it from an academic perspective. I felt as if there was one right answer that I would be able to find in a textbook somewhere. This idea was unproductive however and I quickly realized that I needed to reframe the ‘problem – solution’ method in a more creative way. If I was able to come up with an idea first, I could then use my academic resources to prove the ideas value and improve its effectiveness. 

The first couple ideas that I had were too expensive, elaborate, and would require extensive testing to validate. With a two month window and a short manufacturing timeline, these ideas needed to be improved. During this time, we had weekly meetings where each member of the group would share their progress and present any problems they had run into during their work. I found these sessions to be quite inspiring, as I got to listen and contribute to fascinating conversations. It was in one of these meetings where, after a discussing with my mentor and a few other members of the research group, I found an idea that would work: lowering the temperature of the filtering assembly in order to freeze and catch any harmful exhaust components. 

Once I had settled on an initial idea, I once again reached out to my mentor in order to validate the idea and underlying physics. Once I had approval I started modeling the filter using SolidWorks, a 3D modeling software provided by OSU. I created 4 models with different filter geometries in order to test which would work best. I also created 2 models of the piping that would connect the filter to the rest of the assembly. After completing the initial modeling, I once again reached out to my mentor in order to verify the geometries. We performed a handful of heat transfer calculations in order to determine operating temperatures and adjusted some values of the models.

With the models completed, I moved to test them using ANSYS Fluent, a CFD software provided by OSU. This process was plagued with setbacks however, as after I had spent a few days learning the software, my access was revoked. While trying to resolve this issue, my access to the SolidWorks files I had previously made was also revoked. In total, these issues took about a week to resolve and set my timeline back significantly. Despite this, a final geometry was selected for the filter. 

Because of the issues described previously, as of the writing of this reflection, the filter has not been printed/assembled. However, the plan still remains to manufacture and implement the filter into the engine system. Looking forward, I plan to continue contributing to this project even as my role/tasks change. Overall I have found this experience to be incredibly rewarding. From a networking standpoint I have developed relationships with the entire 7+ person team and gained valuable research and development experience. I have also found a new sense of confidence in my academic and occupational capabilities as even though I had a team to support me, I was able to complete this major developmental project independently. I believe I am becoming a more competitive candidate for future work/research opportunities as I now have more experience and insight to offer. 

Isometric view of the filter I designed.

Cut out view of the filter I designed.

Over the past summer, I volunteered full-time in Dr. Maria Ariza’s lab at OSU studying the effects of herpesvirus dUTPases in humans. During that time, I learned important generally applicable procedures, including the process of culturing immortalized adherent cells, photographing those cells with fluorescent microscopy, and performing analysis on those images. I also spent time searching the literature to learn the functions of numerous upregulated and downregulated genes in human cells treated with dUTPase.

I’ve had an interest in science research ever since I can remember, expressed in my Kindergarten bio quote that I wanted to be a “mad scientist” when I grew up. In high school, I participated in science research and worked on two different projects over my two years in the course. These projects were completed in groups of two or three students, and they were completely student-led and devised and had to fit in a $250 budget. I remember the excitement I had in this course when conducting a project to study the effect of salinity on conjugation between bacteria cells. Unfortunately, that excitement was somewhat extinguished after several months when there was contamination between our bacterial samples, rendering our results unusable in regard to our hypothesis.

At that time, I had a great interest in research, and the main education I relied on in my project was from biology classes, but I lacked the technical knowledge and skills crucial to wet lab research. After we discovered the contamination, we investigated what we did wrong and learned that despite our wearing masks and gloves and using only new tools on the petri dishes, we were not operating under aseptic technique. When I investigated, I discovered that proper aseptic technique would likely require the use of extremely costly equipment unavailable to me in High School, such as a Biosafety Cabinet and Autoclave. In coming to Ohio State and getting involved with research, I was glad to learn the details of proper aseptic technique and have the facilities necessary to prevent contamination. I learned to be very consciousness of what I touched, when my hands or tools moved out of the Biosafety Cabinet, and of my intricate movements with pipettes, ensuring I didn’t scratch parts of a plate or flask or touch the outside of containers. I look back now at my High School research days and smile in amusement at how comparatively untidy my research techniques were compared to what I do now.

I recall one specific time over the summer when I had just begun growing the cells I had been assigned after thawing them from liquid nitrogen. I had already successfully passed them once. This means they had grown until they were highly confluent in a flask, and then I used various chemicals and media to remove them from the flask, count them, resuspend them, and add some of them back to the cleaned flask. These cells were kept in a small flask without air vents in the cap, so I had to unscrew the cap while they were incubating for proper exchange of CO₂ and O₂. While taking them out of the incubator one time, I forgot to re-screw the cap, and it fell off onto the ground as I took the flask out. I quickly put the flask back in the incubator and asked my graduate student mentor if I could just replace the cap with a new, sterile one. I sadly learned that I couldn’t since the cells had been exposed to the air and could have been contaminated. This experience helped cement the importance of being extremely particular in aseptic technique, especially when culturing cells. Thankfully, there was another aliquot of the cells in another flask that another member of the lab was able to split into a new flask.

Later in the summer, I was starting to gain more independence in the tissue culture hood after shadowing and taking turns with my graduate student mentor. One week, she gave me the protocol and some related information about thawing, culturing, and passing cells. She asked me to study it at home so I could be proficient at it in the lab. After verbally running through each step and the important details from memory, my mentor corrected any small errors or omissions I made. Then, she watched as I completed the protocol, carefully proceeding from step to step in the process of passing the cells. This was a somewhat nerve-racking task, trying to prevent any shaking in my hands as I carefully pipetted reagents and cells, making sure not to unintentionally touch any surfaces. The daunting nature of this task was compounded by the fact that this procedure needs to be done somewhat quickly, as the chemicals that detach the cells from the flask are also toxic to the cells over time. I quickly checked that the cells were detached under a microscope, and then I carried on with neutralizing and removing them before they were harmed. In the end, my mentor gave me feedback on how I did and highlighted a few small errors I made but overall said that I “passed”. I was very relieved to have passed this test, and it marked a milestone in my growth working in a research lab.

Another important skill I practiced over the summer was searching for research papers and extracting the information I needed from them. I relied on skills I had learned in one of my freshman Biomedical Science courses on searching Biomedical Literature. I leaned on the Embase and PubMed catalogs to search, and cross-referenced genes with their official Gene ID pages from the NIH. I gained a lot of experience using multiple search terms and narrowing my search to specific topics and kinds of publications, eliminating conference abstracts and letters. After finding seemingly relevant papers, I would find where the gene was mentioned, and often it was listed in a batch of hundreds of genes in a “genome-wide association study (GWAS)”, with my gene of interest not elaborated on further. After moving on from these frequent red herrings, I would finally find papers that described the purpose or mechanism of the gene. At first, I would just take the relevant text from those studies and include them in my gene spreadsheet. However, for some of the genes I found multiple papers mentioning different roles, so I synthesized my understanding of the gene’s different roles. One example of this deeper investigation into specific genes was when I was asked to present a PowerPoint about a selected group of up/downregulated genes. I focused on genes with the most literature describing them and put together a presentation explaining how these were related and could affect some specific disease mechanisms. This was another learning moment, as I had to answer questions about these genes from lab members including my PI, and had to admit when I didn’t know. This was a great learning experience, especially as my knowledgeable PI and Co-PI shared information about the topic that helped contextualize it for me.

This first experience in a university research laboratory was a crucial step for me in my journey as a student, learner, and for my professional aspirations. This experience was very personally fulfilling as I got to experience the real research I’ve dreamed about since I was a little kid. I remember having my interest in science research reawakened in 7^thgrade when I learned about the wonders of CRISPR from a YouTube video. Again, I had my interest reaffirmed in high school during the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent rollout of revolutionary mRNA vaccines. Getting to work in this virology lab not only fulfilled my personal interests but also taught me many important techniques and details, as well as information about the immune system that I will use going forward. Lastly, I plan to pursue an MD-PhD program after graduating and ultimately wish to work as a physician-scientist in my career. So, this research experience will be crucial for building my skills, both practical skills like aseptic technique and culturing cells, but also skills like searching for and dissecting papers to find relevant information. I am excited to use these skills in my next lab as I continue to learn more and gain more important skills.