When I listened to the other fellows present the research that they are doing this summer, I had this feeling – I wouldn’t call it religious – maybe exhilarating. I have heard people say that humanity has just entered the dawn of the scientific age, and I think I was able to really appreciate what that meant through the presentations. Last week, I solidified my growing conviction that the scientific revolution will probably have as profound an impact on history as the First Agricultural Revolution. And I made a decision: I want to be a revolutionary!
I am grateful to the Howard Hughes Research Fellows program for making me realize that I want to do research. I am interested in medicine, but I am also interested in research. During my undergraduate years, I will explore how I can merge these interests.
One of the presentations that I found exciting was Alex’s presentation. He is working in a heart, fin, and spinal cord regeneration lab. Before I say anything more, I am forced to stop and admire the existence of such a lab — I must be behind the times because this really sounds like science fiction novel stuff to me! After identifying mutated genes that caused regeneration mutants, Alex is working on characterizing these genes this summer. In the long term, this research might give us the tools to help people whose hearts and spinal cords are damaged, perhaps by regenerating diseased tissue. My interest in medicine is derived from a strong interest in improving the quality of all human life, so I am just blown away by the potential in this research to do that. I also appreciate how this science revolves around manipulating the body to heal itself (by regeneration) because I believe that capitalizing on the body’s innate mechanisms is often the best method of treating illness.
Ahhh… the revolution!
