Summer Undergraduate Research Program - Fred Hutchinson ...

Extra Personal Statement #3
I have been fascinated by science since I was a little girl. My father is a medicinal organic
chemist at the University of Michigan, and I used to go to work with him on days off from
school. Watching him create and test new compounds that might someday become medicines
inspired me to want to be a scientist as well. My first “experiment” was seeing the clouds of fog
that appeared when I put water on dry ice. I was amazed that combining two simple things could
result in something totally different. In school, my science classes were always my favorites and
an advanced anatomy and physiology class that emphasized lab work cemented my desire to
major in biology in college. My interest in studying infectious diseases began when I leafed
through a friend's Microbiology textbook during my first year of college, and as I learned more
about the subject through my undergraduate courses and research at Emory University, my
fascination only grew. I hope to study the mechanisms of pathogenesis of infectious agents,
especially those that take their greatest toll in developing nations, with the goal of increasing our
scientific understanding of these deadly and debilitating illnesses.
I have had almost four years of research experience, and have found that the more time I spend
in the lab, the more I enjoy it. I find it very fulfilling to know that my work is contributing, even
if only in a small way, to scientific progress. Although I enjoyed my two undergraduate research
projects, my current research experience is the longest period I’ve spent working full time in the
lab. This extended time at the bench has allowed me to be really sure that I enjoy research and
that graduate school is the right next step for me. Each research experience has not only taught
me new technical skills and specific knowledge, but has reinforced my enthusiasm for and
commitment to a life in science.
From February of 20XX to March of 20XX, I studied factors affecting human visual acuity
under low light conditions, such as might be encountered when driving at night. This research
was an undergraduate project in the lab of Dr. Madelyn Marshall at Emory University. I worked
with human research subjects, measuring their vision and properties of their eyes under various
circumstances. Dr. Marshall and I initially hypothesized that monochromatic aberrations of the
cornea, which occur naturally and can also be induced by LASIK surgery, would be associated
with poorer vision. However, I found that aberrations actually had no effect on our subjects’
vision. I was disappointed that my first project had “failed,” but Dr. Marshall encouraged me to
reexamine the data for other factors that might have an association with vision and we found
that, of the parameters we tested, defocus is the major factor limiting vision under low light
conditions. Defocus is the difference between where a person’s eyes are focused and where the
object being viewed is actually located, and is potentially correctible with non-prescription
glasses similar to reading glasses. The experience taught me that a negative initial result isn’t
always a disaster and that it’s important to be open to unexpected findings.
I presented this research in a poster at the 20XX Optical Society of America Fall Vision Meeting
in Rochester, NY, as well as in poster and seminar form as part of the 20XX Howard Hughes
Medical Institute summer research program at Emory University. This first project helped me
develop important skills in communicating about my research, both in explaining the study to the
participants and in conveying my findings to other scientists. I discovered that I love sharing my
excitement about science with others.
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