DevCoGx Lab @ UCSD
Week One: 1/10 - 1/12
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Before First Day:
I am so excited to start my internship at the DevCoGx lab at UCSD. The lab focuses on the shape of DNA in the brain and how that effects cognitive development. I have always loved science and doing labs in school, so I'm excited to see and experience what it's like to work in a professional lab with scientists in the profession. I haven't had any science this year so far so I'm a little nervous going into this internship with little to no knowledge, but this is also a time to learn and I am looking forward to learning lots and being in a space where I'm not fully comfortable or confident. I'll also be doing the internship with a friend so I'm glad that there will be someone I'm comfortable around. Before break I was able to have a site visit where I got to meet the head of the lab, Hiruy, and my mentor, Grace, and get a tour of the lab! 
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Pacific Hall (DevCoGx Lab on third floor)In this lab everyone is very collaborative and are always communicating about their findings and wonderings. There are 2 undergraduate students working at the lab while Jae and I are here working with a PhD student. Our mentor Grace is one of the many graduate students that after their rotations in multiple labs decided to come and do their research at the DevCoGx lab. Hiruy and Ashley are both post docs and the Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator. Even though everyone is at different places in their life with schooling at the lab, they still all work really well together. They converse constantly about experiments, wonderings, and findings throughout the day. They all know it's better to have many minds over one and use that to their advantage each day.
On the left you can see examples of collaboration in the lab from Friday. In the top picture, Grace (my mentor), Jeffrey (another PhD student), and Guha (an undergraduate at UCSD), are shown working together on an experiment. In the lower picture, Zoe (research associate), and John (another UCSD undergraduate), are shown working on staining to then get imaging of certain proteins. |
Week 2: 1/15 - 1/19
Working at the DevCoGx lab, Jae and I will be working alongside our mentor Grace on her project. She is focused on the gene LaminB1 (LMNB1) located in the cell nucleus. We will be working with cells and organoids (lab grown brains) to see what the effect of changes to LMNB1 has on other cells around it that then might have a larger effect on an individual and their cognitive development. As we continue on with various experiments and get results, it will all go into a presentation encapsulating our findings. The results we get help the lab and the rest of science learn something new. Even if the results are that some mutations of LMNB1 doesn't have a large effect on the cells around it and individuals with the mutations, that's still great information for future scientists to know! Jae and I are going to be learning along the way how to conduct certain experiments, but we can use our research and presentation skills to go deeper into what we're working on, and to deliver our findings to others.
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Even from the first day of my internship I had learned so much. While watching Zoe (research associate) on the first day extract and fix a mouse brain, we were already learning new concepts and techniques. So far I feel I have had to learn to let my brain be really stretched. With learning new concepts it's important to learn to take good notes and to ask lots of questions, to make sure you have a full understanding of what you're being taught. Just this week we've also started on doing experiments with staining organoids and found that with taking good notes you should also write down each step of your experiment. You don't just want to write your outcomes but document how you got there, incase you need to recreate the experiment or change a variable. I also see myself growing more fond and curious about genes and jobs in the STEM field. Because I already love science everything is just that more interesting to me and I keep wanting to know more. Even though my brain feels tired after a day at the lab I look back to my notes at night and think about what I want to ask more questions about in the morning.
Week 3: 1/22 - 1/26
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This week I had my interview with my mentor Grace to talk about her journey to where she is now and to get a better understanding of who she is as a person and scientist. These are a few of my favorite quotes/moments shared from Grace.
We were talking about Grace's journey to where she is now and why she chose genetics/neurobiology. Grace said that it all started with a visit to the Smithsonian Museum and being stuck in an exhibit on the 3D genome and DNA. She read through every fact, "I just remember going through the whole exhibit, and I thought it was so cool, and I became low-level obsessed." Throughout my interview with grace I could see in how she talked about work that she loves what she does. And has been "low-level obsessed" ever since. In another part of the interview Grace spoke on some of the influential people on her path. She told me about a women that she worked with in a lab during summer of college who was a PhD student. Grace said that she was influential because she showed Grace what loving your job was like. "she was passionate about research that made a difference in people's lives. And that really rubbed off on me." |
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Coming into the lab I feel as though I had close to no knowledge about biology or what the lab was working on. Because of not having biology for a full year and not having biology my first semester I felt out of place coming to the lab even though I love science. Throughout these past few weeks I have learned to put all the other skills I have learned from HTHMA to this experience. Self advocacy has been a big help to me understanding what we're doing. Whenever Grace is talking about something and Jae has learned it before I feel comfortable to just ask her to explain it further for me. There's not always a moment for Grace to explain everything and so I have also had to put my research skills to work. Sometimes there are words that I don't fully understand and so I look up what they mean to have a fuller understanding of what we were discussing.
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There are so many things to be thankful for from these past few weeks at the lab. First and I believe the most important part, I am so grateful to have an amazing mentor. Grace has been such an amazing scientist to learn from and work alongside. Starting from our site visit she has made sure that we are on the same page with her. Whenever we are doing something new she pauses and takes time to teach us what's going on and why. She has created a space where I feel comfortable asking questions even if we've already gone over a concept or action. Not only does grace create a safe and joyful space but so has the lab as a community. I feel thankful that everyone working in the lab are friends with one another and are always respectful. They help each other and understand that Jae and I still have so much to learn.
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Week 4: 1/29 - 2/2
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As a sophomore I had no idea what to expect for internship. Throughout my internship at a lab, many pieces of advice I would like to keep with me have surfaced. I believe that the most important part of science is asking questions. Not just to make new findings, but to understand concepts, and the tiniest parts of what you're working on. Everyday I ask at least ten questions. Not particularly on purpose, but because there's just so much to know and wonder. If you are looking into the field of genetics/genomics the best way to see if you truly enjoy it is to jump into a space where you can learn all about it. And while you are in that space, ask all the questions that come up. No question is too small or "dumb". I would also like to advise to learn to love research. There are so may aspects of science where you aren't only doing experiments, but researching about past experiments, and current concepts to fully understand the why and what you're doing.
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On Friday I was able to do a mini interview on Kenzie, another research associate in the lab, on her journey to where she is now. As we spoke, Kenzie recalled each step that led her to this lab. She grew up in northern Maine in a small town. Not small as in HTH small, but small as in there were 20 seniors who graduated. Out of the 20, Kenzie was one of 5 to go to college. Originally Kenzie went to college on a basketball scholarship to a college in Ohio. When she broke her leg and couldn't play she transferred to VCU. She went in as PreMed but learned her love of research through an opportunity she got through doing cold calls. Her last two years of college were hybrid due to COVID and she then came down to San Diego and worked as a technician for blood testing at Truvian. Searching for further education she got her masters through UCSD and is currently applying for PhD programs. She wasn't able to get into a program last year, but this has given her time to gain more experience and knowledge. Kenzie had a motto that struck with me. "If things don't happen right away it's okay, eventually they will", I believe the message is that your path is not a straight line, and it's okay to have to turn around before you keep going in the direction you want.
Final Week: 2/5 - 2/9
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Science has always been a love of mine. I enjoy the process of having a question and getting to do the work that goes into finding the answer. Being here at my internship in the lab has made my love for science grow even stronger. As I look into my close future I know I want to go apply to college with a focus on science and possibly neuro and genetics. When I search for colleges I might want to apply to I now can narrow it down to colleges that are strong in research in science. After conversations with the others in the lab who have gone through the process I'm figuring out right now, I've heard that molecular biology is a major that tunnels into neuro and genetics because of the focus on DNA and proteins. I currently don't have a list of colleges that meet what I want in a further education but I'm at least glad to know what I want to look for. Another big part about looking where I want to spend the next four years is whether I want to be in a sea of students like me, or just a pond but I have yet to come to a conclusion on that criteria. All I know is that I want to be in a space that nurtures students on the path to becoming scientists by providing opportunities and resources to make sure they succeed.
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The most challenging part about internship (at least in my eyes) is having to go through this experience independently. You have to make it what you want your time to be like. Our teachers give some guidance but it's really up to us to make sure we're learning and being involved with the work. Once you start attending your internship I think to get the most out of it you have to initiate a lot. Although your mentor is there to teach you and support you they might not always catch when you need support. At my internship at the lab I have had to self advocate and make sure that I'm taking in all the information and really understanding it. These skills aren't far from reach, In our school our teachers push us to ask questions and reflect on if we do really understand something. While you're still at school, practice noticing when you need more clarity on something and going and asking for support. Our teachers are just the people to practice self advocacy with!
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