“What is happening? What are we doing? How does this work?” Probably some of the phrases I’ve said the most during my first week working in Dr. Yiyang Gong’s lab. Whether it was designing a primer for a PCR reaction, trying to pick cells to culture, or delving into Matlab coding adventures, I’ve spent a lot of time confused this week. Fortunately, these confused moments have been paired with the incredible feeling of understanding after working on a problem for an extended period of time (and a few hints from Dr. Gong). One of my goals for the summer is to continue having these revelations and to continue discovering and solving problems. After only a week I have become even more excited about research and how I can help in the lab the rest of the summer!
Adding on to these goals for research this summer I’m hoping to get a better idea of what I would like to do in the future. Biomedical engineering has been on my mind for a few years, but without real-life experience that could easily change. The coursework and previous lab work in classes have been fascinating, but it will be interesting to see whether interest in class translates to interest in the career. Hopefully by the end of the program I will have a better idea if research is for me, if engineering is for me, and if biology and science is for me. Currently I am loving the freedom I get in the lab to explore new ideas and think for myself, which is quite a contrast to the lab experience I had before joining Dr. Gong’s lab. Previously in classes the procedures were laid out to follow and perfect results were typically expected. Now if there is a problem I can’t just ask a TA or ask a friend how they found the solution. This experience is completely new to me and with time I will be able to determine if the research and science lifestyle is one that I wish to pursue in the future.
Unrelated to the previous goals and expectations, I hope to use some of my free time to improve my cooking skills and knowledge of the local area. Today I had a box of birthday cake flavored Teddy Grahams for lunch; hopefully by the end of the summer I will know enough about cooking so my shopping cart at Harris Teeter won’t look like a five year old was allowed to their own shopping. If I’m not trying out new cooking techniques, I hope that I will be able to spend time exploring Durham and breaking out of the “Duke bubble.” Next stop the quarry, Duke Forest, and wherever else my bike can take me!
I can’t wait to see what the next seven weeks bring in new experiences and adventures!
