For my STEM EE Scholars Second-Year Capstone, I have decided to get involved in undergraduate research. I have been interested in getting involved in research since coming to Ohio State, and this project provided the perfect opportunity to do so. As a pre-med student, it is to my advantage to begin undergraduate research as soon as possible. After many emails to many different professors, I chose to work in a lab studying the effects of green tea on intestinal health. There have been some articles published by various health websites regarding this, but there has been very little concrete research, and some examples can be found at the end of this post.

Since my schedule is already busy as it is, I somewhat struggled to work this into my weekly schedule. However, everything ended up working out and I will work at the lab every Tuesday morning during fall semester. For spring semester, I will reassess my availability at the beginning of spring semester and work research into my schedule once again. I plan to be involved in research for the duration of this year, and I would consider doing it next year as well.

https://www.everydayhealth.com/digestive-health/can-green-tea-help-digestion.aspx

https://www.groundgreentea.com/green-tea-and-gut-health/

In recent years, there has been a lot of online debate regarding whether or not vaccines are safe. A study published in 1998 by British Dr. Andrew Wakefield claimed that there was a link between vaccines and autism, but upon further investigation, his paper was found fraudulent due to falsified data and alleged abuse against the people he studied. After these findings were made, the paper was revoked, and Wakefield lost his medical license in 2010. However, there were still people who read his paper after it was revoked. These people began to think that vaccines caused autism and hurt people more than help people. They took to the internet to spread their beliefs, and received backlash almost immediately. The anti-vax movement has caused many diseases that had been eliminated already to resurface, causing nationwide health concerns that would not have been an issue if people vaccinated their children against these diseases.

In my opinion, I think people should be required to vaccinate their children. There are very few risks, and it benefits the health of the public by preventing major deadly diseases, such as measles, from coming back. However, it would not be easy to create a vaccine requirement. Many different factors, such as religious exemptions and basic autonomy, would need to be considered.

When I first arrived at Ohio State, I knew I wanted to get involved in some sort of pre-med club. I was looking for one at the involvement fair and found Alpha Epsilon Delta, a nationally-recognized pre-professional health honor society. This club allows students to network with professionals in the health fields, find research and volunteer opportunities, and meet other pre-health students. I enjoy going to meetings and listening to what doctors or current medical students have to say about the health industry. I am looking forward to becoming more involved with the club in the future. I hope to volunteer at Physicians Free Clinic once I complete my training. The club also provides upperclassmen mentors to all the freshmen. I enjoy having a person that I know I can go to for advice.

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