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Imani Fleurimond
Seizing Opportunities
June 18, 2023
Hello everyone! My name is Imani Fleurimond and I am a rising junior at the University of Delaware. As a child, I was always passionate about science and medicine. Some of my earliest memories consist of me pretending to be a physician, treating my dolls and stuffed animals, while using one of my father’s white dress shirts as a lab coat. Science is the sole subject that has fascinated me throughout the entirety of my academic career, so it was very clear to me that I was meant to pursue a career in this field. When it was time to research majors for college, I found that Biological Sciences was the perfect fit for me. I was intrigued by the fascinating concepts of cellular biology, genetics, and biochemistry, and I knew having a solid foundation in these topics would be essential to becoming a physician.
Around December of my sophomore year of college, I was casually scrolling through my email and came across a Google Form for a chance to tour the Fox Chase Cancer Center. I decided to seize the opportunity and fill out the form. Prior to this I had little to no research experience. I figured it would be nice to at least open myself to the possibility of exploring scientific research. After touring the center at Discovery Day, I immediately knew that I wanted to apply. I was very excited to potentially gain hands-on experience in a laboratory setting. I also knew that I would gain a better understanding of oncology, which I had a deep personal interest in due to my mother recently being diagnosed with cancer.
“It was very helpful to have Dr. Purdy and Dr. Leystra guiding us throughout the entire week and making our transition to the lab as easy as possible.”
I am very happy that I made the decision to apply because I learned so much in such a short period of time. The first week of the Empower Fellowship was very different from anything I was used to. It consisted of listening to many research presentations, completing various homework assignments, learning new lab techniques, reading research articles, and of course, meeting new people. I am very appreciative of the things I was able to learn and the connections I was able to make in just five days. Living in the same hall as the other fellows really allowed us to build a great camaraderie with each other, and it was amazing to feel like I had a support system in a place that was so new to me. In addition to the other fellows in the program, it was very helpful to have Dr. Purdy and Dr. Leystra guiding us throughout the entire week and making our transition to the lab as easy as possible. I am excited to get started with my lab work next week!
Lifelong Memories
July 9, 2023
The past few weeks have been very eventful. I was able to settle into Dr. Arora’s lab, and I started diving into my project for the summer. Everyone in the lab has been very receptive to me and willing to answer any of my questions. Overall, my project is focused on trying to understand why incidences of early-onset renal cell carcinoma have been rising. I have spent a lot of time analyzing RNA sequencing data and generating figures, like heatmaps, to display how certain genes were expressed differently after treatment. In the near future, I will be performing a Western blot and focusing on compiling all my results so I can present them at the symposium in August.
Outside of working in the lab, this fellowship has provided many other opportunities, like Research Day, where many of the scientists from Fox Chase presented their findings from projects they have been working on. There were talks that I thoroughly enjoyed and talks that I found to be slightly intimidating, mostly due to the fact that I did not have as broad a scientific vocabulary as most of the researchers. The presenters that were able to explain and simplify complex ideas, made their presentations much easier to understand and more enjoyable to listen to. I made a mental note to do the same for my presentation at the symposium because I would hate for anyone to feel lost and confused while listening to me. It was nice to take a break from the lab and spend a day talking to various researchers from the center. Research Day really allowed me to feel like a part of the science community and Fox Chase family.
Another part of these weeks that I have enjoyed are the various social outings that the other fellows and I have been able to facilitate. We have visited Center City Philadelphia quite a few times now. The first time, we visited the Mutter Museum, which had some of the coolest and most disturbing things I had ever seen in my life. We also visited the city for the fourth of July. Getting to spend Independence Day in a place with so much American history was almost magical. We even got to see Demi Lovato perform live right before the fireworks display! This summer has already given me many memories that I will never forget.
Crossing the Finish Line
August 29, 2023
During the last month of the Empower program, I finally got into a solid rhythm in the lab. I knew exactly what to do and I was starting to see the finish line. I finished most of my main project and was able to work on a second project focusing on colorectal cancer. My days in the lab were flying by extremely fast, and I was starting to prepare for my final symposium talk.
Aside from working in the lab, I was fortunate enough to shadow a couple of surgical oncologists at Fox Chase! I shadowed in the clinic, as well as the operating room. As an aspiring physician, this opportunity was very informative, inspiring, and taught me so much about patient interaction. Getting to see the work of a physician firsthand, only reaffirmed that this is what I want to do with my life.
Soon enough, the week of the symposium was here. I spent most of that final week practicing my presentation with Dr. Purdy, Dr. Leystra, Dr. Arora, and the other fellows. Everyone was great at listening and providing me with constructive criticism. Constantly editing and revising the presentation was slightly stressful, but by Thursday, I was able to finalize everything. When Friday arrived, I was really excited to see my family and friends attend the symposium. When it was my turn to present, my nerves slowly faded away as I was talking. By the end of it, I felt very accomplished and was happy with how I did. It was definitely a bittersweet day. I loved seeing how my other fellows did well too and felt proud of all 12 of us. We have all come such a long way since that first week. On the other hand, I was sad that the journey was over, but unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.