This summer I am working the Truskey Lab in the Department of Biomedical Engineering under PhD Student, Leigh Atchison. This is my first time working in a research lab, and I am very excited for this opportunity. So far, the atmosphere has been great and the people are very helpful. One of the things I am hoping to get out of this summer is really trying to understand what it is I am doing. I am working with cell cultures—something that I have found to be very interesting so far. However, the cells and techniques are still a little mysterious to me at times.
The Door of the Truskey Lab! Click on the picture to learn more about the lab!
On the technical side, I want to come out of this summer knowing the techniques that I need to know and having a better understanding of how to work with the different cell lines. I have already begun working with basic passaging of cells and changing media, as well as learning how to Immunostaining. My expectation is to be taught many things in this short amount of time, and to make mistakes that I will grow from. I do not have much experience, but I plan to catch on quickly and work hard to make up for that. I also expect to be tested. I know that I have a lot to learn and I’m looking forward to learning a lot more.
My Laboratory Notebook!
The main reason I applied for this program was to assess the way I feel about working in biomedical engineering. As a result, one of my most lofty goals for the summer is to make a decision about my future. I wanted to get experience in the field and make sure that I will really enjoy what I plan on doing for my career. This is my biggest expectation. Even if I only get an inkling of how I feel about this field, I will have more of an idea about my future than I did before.
