Summer Undergraduate Research Program - Fred Hutchinson ...

At this point, from my exposure to a number of different areas of biology, I am most
interested in chromatin modification and the various processes that may affect it. This
is involved in many cellular processes, such as gene expression, cell division, and DNA
repair. Understanding these underlying modifications may help further explain
observations in other processes. Specific faculty whose work in particular interest me
include Steven Henikoff and Toshio Tsukiyama. Their research encompasses the exact
areas in which I am most interested.
In order to continue to pursue my interests in cellular biology, I hope to be accepted to
the Molecular and Cellular Biology Program and further develop myself as a scientist.
My plan is to receive my PhD, continue in academia, and bring upper level science to
high school- and undergraduate-level students. One of the opportunities that I never felt I
had was to participate in research in high school, and I would like to give that chance to
others while I pursue my graduate degree and after. I currently participate in Expanding
Your Horizons as a science activity leader, helping to expose middle school-aged girls to
a range of sciences. I also have worked several interactive activity booths at a variety of
conferences for elementary-aged students to introduce them to science.
Through my time in lab, I have learned a number of useful techniques, as well as the
downfalls of research, when an experiment does not go well or results are inconsistent.
The importance of writing legibly has already been made clear. This past year I misread
a lane label on a gel photo and grew the wrong strain and began experiments using it.
Luckily the mistake was caught, but valuable time was lost. Dealing with accidents like
this has given me experience that will be valuable during my graduate school career.
My previous experience prepares me for graduate school and a career in research. I look
forward to continuing my studies and contributing to the scientific community by probing
deeper into systems that we do not understand. As Jaques-Lucien Monod said, "Personal
self-satisfaction is the death of the scientist. Collective self-satisfaction is the death of the
research. It is restlessness, anxiety, dissatisfaction, agony of the mind that nourish
science."
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