Summer Undergraduate Research Program - Fred Hutchinson ...

Extra Personal Statement #7
My current PI insists that science is like boxing: if you get knocked down, you
get up and fight again. To me, this is an inspiring but simple comparison. If we
are picking sports, I say that science is like swimming. I swam for over a
decade, and for my race of fifty seconds I trained five hours per day, five
hundred hours per season. Through hard work I qualified for and competed at
the NCAA Division I Championships and Olympic Trials. I learned that
dedication, perseverance, and mental endurance are necessary to get results.
Thus far, these lessons have translated well to research.
As an undergraduate, I conducted honors thesis research in St. Olaf's
Department of Neurobiology and Physiology, in Dr. Anne Freeburn's
laboratory with the guidance of my adviser, Dr. Juan Garcia. My project
constituted early steps in the elucidation of the cellular mechanism of
menopausal hot flashes. Building on Dr. Garcia's work, I developed a mouse
model and system of measurement for studying hot flashes. Using these
animals, I identified colocalization in the estrogen receptor alpha and TREK-1
in the medial preoptic area of the mouse brain, a region involved in
thermoregulation. TREK-1, a two pore domain potassium ion channel, is
involved in temperature sensing and plays a role in neuronal stability. This
identifies a potential role for estrogen action in thermoregulation and therefore a
potential mechanism for dysregulation of heat sensing (hot flashes) in the
estrogen-deficient state of menopause. The ultimate goal is to characterize the
mechanism underlying hot flashes so that safe and effective therapies can treat
these symptoms.
This experience opened my eyes to biomedical research. I was excited to find in
my fellow lab members a work ethic I had previously seen only in my
teammates in swimming. I also enjoyed the logical yet creative process of
working through problems both broad and narrow in scope. I was introduced
to the day-to-day challenges of working in science; for example, my mice
became increasingly adept at removing their temperature-sensing tail cuffs, so I
had to stay ahead of their learning curve with new methods of attachment.
Additionally, I liked that the ultimate aim of research is to further medical
knowledge and capability, improving people’s health and wellbeing. Overall, I
found research to be engaging, challenging, and rewarding, and I decided to
pursue additional experience and training after completing my undergraduate
degree.
Since September of 2006 I have worked as a technician at the Drexel School of
Medicine. I joined Dr. Jarvis Hans' laboratory when he brought his lab to
Philadelphia from Baylor College of Medicine. Our lab investigates the role of
estrogens and androgens in metabolism, diabetes and obesity. As the tech I have
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