Quan L.

Growing up, I’ve always wanted to go into some form of computer science. It all started from my first scratch coding class in elementary school. I learned how code is used to manipulate objects where you can do so many different things. An object can move a few steps or you can even make it explode. I can make a cat fly across space with a rainbow path coming out of its back. Coding allowed me to put anything that I could think of into reality. So when my uncle introduced me to the Fred Hutch Explorers Program, I was hesitant to apply for it at first due to my love for coding. Also, I didn’t really have an interest in medical science due to its long schooling. But after my uncle's relentless urges I gave in and decided to apply for the Fred Hutch Explorers Program.

My perspective on medical science started changing after I knew more about the things that Fred Hutch was doing. Especially the stem cell transplantation and the bone marrow. Also, I was excited to learn more about the medical field that I’ve had very little exposure to. Furthermore, I wanted to know more about how cancer research is conducted, and the Explorers Program gave me the opportunity to learn from working cancer researchers. When I got the acceptance email for the Fred Hutch Explorers Program, I was psyched for the experience.

As I went through the program and experienced new things through labs and tours of Fred hutch while meeting all sorts of people, I’ve really enjoyed the Explorers Program. I’m glad that I listened to my uncle to apply for it. One of my favorite experiences was listening to Dr. Barry Stoddard about his work on protein structure and engineering. What I liked about him, and the presentation was how enthusiastic he was about his work. The way he talked and explained things while using visuals gave me a deep understanding of protein structures and even got me excited to learn more about them. The most interesting for me was the story on how he went to the Soviet Union (known as Russia today) to conduct an experiment on structural proteins. Hearing that story made me realize how cool science was. How it could take you to new places. How it could make you meet all sorts of different people. And how you would go through various kinds of challenges where you might not even discover anything new. Another highlight of my time here at Fred Hutch is finally being able to put the samples onto the holes in gel electrophoresis. My past two times had bad results but after doing gel electrophoresis a third time, I was finally able to successfully put samples inside. Everyone in my group was watching and our TA Alex started laughing because of that. It was like a high doing it right, I felt so happy that I finally did it. If not for the Fred Hutch Explorers Program not only gave me unforgettable experiences but also opened my eyes to new possibilities for my future.

My last and only successful gel electrophoresis lab

Quaternary protein structure is when different protein chains join together to make one big working protein