I can officially say that I’ve met Dr. Anthony Fauci, sat in his chair, and got both a photo and an autograph. Initially, I would never expect to meet Dr. Fauci ever, and was not a motive really for joining the Fred Hutch Explorers program, but is one the things I’m grateful to take out of the program. Meeting Fauci was one of the biggest highlights, but also being able to meet many other scientists and employees across the Fred Hutch campus was meaningful. Among many different labs and fields important in advancing science, I learned this work was less about the science but the pursuit and passion of learning and helping others.
On a grand scale, being able to speak and listen to great scientists like Dr.Fauci, can inspire the passion to learn and resilience to move with an open mind. Less broad in advice though, the study of one of the tiniest worms and their bodies containing 302 neurons in the Bai lab is inspiring. In the pursuit of understanding the cognitive system but also advancing our understanding of neurodivergent people, who’s senses process differently, this lab takes the advancement to help those who are not treated the same. Not even from other lab scientists, but also from those who connect others, Raabya Rossenkahn can teach us so much about the skills that make us resilient, help us speak and express our ideas in a field where it can feel hard to be valued.To see that people made their passions into work that helps or pursued the work it takes to help others, is beyond inspiring but even before I can think about making it there, other interns and myself first have to do the basics in science.
A very introductory wet lab for the explorers was the use of electrophoresis, in which many lab scientists may use consistently to gather data. This on its own is running many small molecules through a gel made of agarose, to measure the molecules, often DNA in fragments/cuts. The charges running through the buffer allows charged particles to be attracted to its opposing charge moving them along the gel but the smaller sized fragments move through much faster . By organizing DNA in size, we can estimate the size of specific fragments if we have a known fragment within a ladder on the gel. Furthermore the use of gel electrophoresis with DNA can also allow us to compare genes to help test individuals and also help our understanding of genetic traits and diseases.
Beyond just understanding the basic science that make up these careers and paths, it became very clear that one must also have an understanding of oneself. By understanding my own strengths and needs, but also seeing the push for teamwork even with competition, I can work better and closer with others allowing better work and more production. Even just for myself, knowing my limits and valuing my health, I should be able to take care of myself, but it’s hard. Constantly being surrounded with words I feel obligated to live up to, and feeling like behind the mix of my peers , it’s daunting to think Ican present and know something of value.
To be a resilient scientist we must first have to be understanding and flexible with ourselves. In this course work we had taken about half a day just understanding these thoughts of thinking ‘you’re behind’ or that ‘you don’t present value’, and beyond that the words of mentors and guests have taught us what we say matters. The environment can be scary and intimidating, but our passions are what drives us forward regardless of what we make of our surroundings and our thoughts.
As much as it sucks to feel out of place we have to realize we are not alone.
Tabitha Ngo (left), my chosen lab partner when we both misinterpreted each other's words in a lab, either interpretation would mean our lab results wouldn’t show and would be far from accurate, so as shown Tabitha looks very concerned.
Christian pipetting the samples into a gel to run electrophoresis.
Cohort 1 with Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Larry Corey