Shritan P.

 When I first stepped into the Fred Hutch Explorers Program, I was honestly a little nervous. Walking into a place where so many incredible discoveries have been made felt intimidating at first. But that nervousness quickly turned into excitement. Every hallway tour, every lab activity, and every conversation with a scientist reminded me exactly why I love science so much. These past two weeks have been full of curiosity, laughter, and moments that made me want to dive even deeper into research. 

Session 1 enjoying the view from the rooftop! 

One of the best memories for me was our CML lab, where we got to use gel electrophoresis to diagnose a simulated patient. I remember feeling like a real scientist, carefully loading the samples and then waiting for the results to reveal the “diagnosis.” It felt like solving a mystery, and I couldn’t help but imagine how powerful these same techniques are when applied to actual patients. We also experimented with CRISPR, extracted DNA from strawberries, and talked about how gene editing could completely change the future of healthcare. Doing those labs with my peers made it even more fun, and I’ll never forget the excitement we all shared when our experiments worked.

Another moment that really stuck with me was visiting Dr. Jihong Bai’s lab. Before that, I honestly never thought worms had much to do with humans. But seeing how researchers use C. elegans to study neurons and behavior totally changed my perspective. Even though the worms were so small we could barely see them, the research was so advanced and eye-opening. Watching the team track neural responses and learning processes was fascinating, and it made me realize how many different ways there are to study the brain. It’s something I definitely want to explore more in the future. 

A view of the C. elegans under the microscope. 

We also got the chance to meet inspiring researchers like Dr. Paul Edlefsen and Dr. Raabya Rossenkhan. Hearing them share their personal journeys, how they combine math, biology, and public health to help people, really struck me. I always thought research was just about experiments, but their stories showed me it’s also about collaboration and finding creative ways to make an impact. It gave me hope that no matter what path I take, I can still use science to make an impact on real people. 

Most of all, I’m so grateful to Dr. G, Huda, Alex, Shayan, and the entire SEP team. They made this program welcoming, exciting, and unforgettable