Because the program offers research in broad areas of the biomedical sciences, I have been able to expand beyond my major, Human Biology, by delving into tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, which are two fields that really interest me. Specifically, my project focused on developing a cartilage regeneration implant that would be structurally stable and biochemically compatible with the body. Cartilage degeneration is predicted to affect more than 50% of the population in the future and thus, creating better repair techniques would fulfill a great clinical need. Most days, I was in the lab from 9 am to 5 pm, using the green light laser to make cross-linked collagen gels and looking through the fluorescent microscope at the cells within the collagen gels. Other days, I came in early or stayed late until 8 or 9 in the evening if I needed to observe an enzymatic digestion that I was running for 8-10 hours. As an HST Summer Institute student, I also went to lectures and learned about the different applications of biomedical optics such as in neuroscience, microscopy, photochemical tissue bonding, and much more.
Even though I had worked in two research labs back at school, this program challenged me to go beyond becoming familiar with how the lab works. In a few short weeks, I pushed myself to obtain meaningful findings and further my analytical thinking skills. Although experiments wouldn't always work perfectly the first time around, I persevered and varied experimental conditions until they worked. I have grown more confident in my research skills from presenting and talking to the scientific community to using my creativity in devising experiments.
The program wasn't all about research, though! On the weekends and during the evenings on the weekdays, we had organized outings and were also able to explore Boston and Cambridge on our own. It was great learning about the history of the city on the Freedom Trail, going to the many museums throughout the city, walking around the different neighborhoods such as Little Italy and Chinatown, and even watching the fireworks on the Charles River.
Fenway Park from the press box
The New England Sand Sculpting Festival at Revere Beach: It was my first time at the beach! I got to collect sea shells, put my feet in the cool water, and sit in the sand.
A great pastry shop in Little Italy, North End to satisfy your sweet tooth with apple twists and cannolis.Two memories of Boston that will always stick with me: the weather and the T-system.
Boston weather is rather unpredictable. It's humid some days, gorgeous on others, and even rainy with ominous clouds for weeks.
Chimes at the Kendall/MIT T-stop, just one of the many stops on Boston's reliable T-system.
Getting involved in biomedical research is definitely something that you can start as a college freshman. If I could do things differently, I would have become involved in research during my first year of college. Initially, I thought that research was something only upperclassmen could do and that freshmen just weren't qualified to take it on. Now, I think that taking the initiative to start early in a lab setting really helps an individual think like a scientist by gaining laboratory skills and by being able to carry out a long-term project in its entirety. During the school year, you can figure out which areas of research interest you and contact professors who work in those fields about possible undergraduate positions in their labs. As for the summer, there are programs across the nation, many of which provide stipends, such as the NIH and Amgen Scholars. I never thought that I would do so much in one summer and now, I hope to apply the skills I learned to my research in the fall.
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