Changing Perspectives
June 16, 2024
Hi! My name is Alexis, and I am a rising junior at the University of Delaware, studying Applied Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. I am probably the most indecisive person on this planet, so if you asked me what my career plans were, I couldn't exactly tell you. I do know that I want to contribute to helping others. After getting a taste of traditional clinical healthcare, I realized it wasn't for me. I eventually developed an interest in research. This way I can make a meaningful impact through a different approach. When looking for internship opportunities at my university, the Empower Fellowship really stood out to me because of its emphasis on building foundational research skills. It's a great opportunity for those who’ve never had research experience before! I thought this was the perfect match for me. Luckily, I was able to get a spot to go on the Discovery Day tour after registering on the last day of sign-ups; to this day, I think that was fate. Discovery Day truly solidified my aspirations for not only the Empower Fellowship but a research career as well. It was an amazing experience to learn more about Fox Chase, what they do, and the amazing community that they foster. The day was not even over, and I knew I needed to come to Fox Chase. Great, here come the nerves—Can I do this? Am I smart enough? Hardworking enough? Everyone that I met seemed so intelligent, and I was still struggling in organic chemistry. I knew I should still give it a shot, so I applied. After months of anticipation and a few interviews, I was extremely fortunate to be admitted to the program.
I am so excited to spend my summer here in Philadelphia and gain valuable research experience. My first two weeks here at Fox Chase felt like I've lived an entirely different life. I met 11 other incredible people, and I am grateful I get to experience this program alongside them. During the foundations course, I was challenged to think deeply about my understanding of biology. I've already learned so much, and there's still so much more to learn this summer. This is exactly why I fell in love with research. I enjoy being able to come to work every day and learn something new. I find it so exhilarating to be given problems and try to figure out solutions to them. Toward the end of my first week, I met my mentor, Dr. Kadijah Mitchell. She's such a strong and intelligent person, and I'm so grateful to be learning from her. All the lab directors that I met that week were so passionate about their research and their journeys into their careers. Every day that you come into Fox Chase, you can feel the energy that everyone brings to fighting cancer, which is so inspiring.
My first week in Dr. Mitchell’s lab was very insightful. Her lab looks at the epidemiology of lung cancer, particularly racial disparities among African American patients. Being one of the newest ones here at Fox Chase, our current focus is understanding the connection between tobacco smoke and PARP inhibitor response in homologous repair deficient lung adenocarcinoma cells. This project is intriguing because if our hypothesis is correct, it could potentially change the way this type of lung cancer is treated! I've been spending a lot of my time reading and learning about the health disparities in lung cancer and trying to connect the dots between drug resistance in certain populations. Dr. Mitchell and her lab are extremely passionate about the work that they do, which motivates me every day. I'm so excited to see how the next eight weeks are going to go and what I accomplish!
Bowling and Cell Lines
July 14, 2024
Wow. It has already been more than halfway through the program, and it's definitely been jam-packed. I definitely feel more settled into the program and my lab. I love that my lab has tried to cultivate a family; it's made me feel so comfortable talking to Dr. Mitchell or any of the other lab members about anything I need help with. We even make time for fun as well! Our lab took a bowling trip to celebrate some birthdays. Of course, I won. Going to Research Day was also very insightful. I got to see multiple people give short talks about the research in their labs. I really appreciate it, as I got to learn some tips that I could use when I give my talk at the end of the program.
In terms of my project, I've been looking at DNA repair gene expression and trying to find a pattern in smoking and race. I've learned to use programs to look at actual patient samples, so I'm excited to see the trends that show from this. I've also had to do some research to figure out the two cell lines I want to include in my research. I've since started to grow those cell lines. I'm doing this so I can eventually treat them with PARP inhibitors and analyze their response. This summer, my mentor has truly given me complete control of my project. She asks me what I want to look at and tries her best to steer me in the direction of success. I think this is amazing, but also scary at the same time. The anticipation is rising to see what data I will get. I do know, however, that whatever happens will be a great learning experience and make a great presentation at the end.
Leading to the Big Day
August 26, 2024
It’s hard to believe it’s already over! These last few weeks have flown by, but they were still filled with amazing experiences. My project ramped up completely, which was a little stressful because I had so many things to do. After looking at gene expression in lung cancer patients from different backgrounds, I found that there was no significant relationship between DNA damage and race. However, smokers were less likely to have issues with DNA repair than nonsmokers. This was a surprising find because most people would think the opposite. This is definitely something I would want to look into in the future. After getting all the data I needed, the hardest part was presenting it to others.
I spent the last two weeks getting ready for the symposium. It was probably the most stressful thing I had to do in a while. The symposium had other PIs and scientists that I wanted to impress. I really appreciate Dr. Purdy and Dr. Austria making sure that I was prepared for my talk by allowing us to do practice sessions. I also worked with my PI as well to make sure that everything looked perfect. By the time of the final talk, I was honestly just ready to get it over with. There were so many people at the symposium, and it was so nice to see all the people who cared about us and our research. Hearing everyone's talk was so rewarding. All the fellows did so well, and I could tell everyone worked so hard this summer. My talk was also great! I felt such a rush after. It was probably adrenaline. It was definitely a day I will never forget.
Overall, my experience this summer was incredible. I've grown so much in such a short amount of time. I learned many research skills and what it means to be an actual scientist. Every day I came into work, I was challenged intellectually, and I really needed that to grow academically and in my career. I'm more excited than ever to go into a research career. My favorite part about this summer was meeting amazing people. I've made some of the most amazing memories with the other 11 Empower fellows that I truly cannot be more grateful for. I also cannot go without mentioning my amazing mentor, Dr. Mitchell, who guided me through every obstacle this summer. She really was an important part of my success during the program. I wouldn't say that my time here was easy, but challenges are what I live for, and I love the feeling I get on the other side.