Hi, my name is Camilla. I applied to the Fred Hutch Explorers program to test the waters of lab work , but as the two weeks passed by, I not only learned more about cancer research but also about the STEM community. My highlights included listening to our guest speakers, because there were some topics I just didn’t expect would also be an issue in this profession, like when we discussed “Imposter Syndrome”. In my mind, all scientists/doctors were on a level where their expertise couldn’t ever be doubted because their credentials could physically be shown on a P.h.D. It made me realize we’re all human after all and any one of us could make a difference in the world while having flaws.
I was intrigued by how science had advanced in the past few decades to become more affordable and efficient. We learned about polymerase chain reactions, or PCR, which is the process of amplifying DNA. PCR is important because we want all the information we can get from a patient while minimizing the damaging process of collecting biopsies. Sequencing DNA used to cost researchers about 2 billion dollars, however today that amount has decreased by 10x, while also producing reads of DNA more than ever before (awesome!). Another highlight would be learning about liquid biopsies, it’s interesting because it all started with pregnant people. Scientists performed liquid biopsies on pregnant mothers to find out the DNA state of their fetus, because the fetus’ DNA would leak into the mother’s bloodstream. From this process, scientists realized most women who had it done, also had cancer. So putting two and two together, they discovered liquid biopsies could also be used to find cancer (amazing!!!).
So although my time at the Hutch was short lived, the memories made and the experiences gained will follow me throughout my academic career. The Fred Hutch Explorers Program is an opportunity to not only learn about cancer, but also build connections with other people. I think that’s important because we need everyone’s effort when the overall question is “How can we make a difference in our world?”.
Here are some photos of my experience at Fred Hutch:
Being in a lab for the first time was so exciting! Especially when we all geared up in lab coats and safety goggles to crush some frozen strawberries.
It was the third day of the program and after touring the campus we all thought the rooftop of the Arnold building was the best place to eat lunch.
The bright bands indicate which patients tested positive for CML. This lab was my favorite because we learned the CML spot test was great for using patient samples from across the world, making it more affordable and efficient.
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