My research journey during these past eight weeks has been a phenomenal adventure. Coming in, I was unsure of what to expect, but after these eight weeks, I know I have grown as a scientist. Through this experience, I gained many technical skills, developed better critical thinking skills, and also engaged in the scientific community, one passionate about finding answers to questions. Although science is about understanding why and how things work, it is more than that. It involves collaboration by sharing ideas and knowledge.
I have always been interested in research, and through this immersive experience, my passion for solving problems, specifically those critical to health has been reinforced. Although it’s too early to tell if I will end up with a career in research, research will surely be an essential part of my undergraduate career. Through this experience, I learned that science is not always straightforward. It is full of mistakes and failures. However, it is very important to be able to find knowledge from the failures, rather than eliminating them.
I am very thankful to the Howard Hughes Research Fellows program for this amazing opportunity. I also thank Dr. Aballay, my secondary mentor, Genia, and everyone in the Aballay lab for always willing to provide help when needed.
