by Farah Kabir, treasurer of Nu Rho Psi at UVA
This is your first semester at the University of Virginia and your first college final is right around the corner. You have already prepared all your notes for studying but something else is bothering you. You have joined your first college club but you haven’t found a meaningful way to spend your time outside of class. You missed the Madison House Medical Services deadline due to not knowing about it early enough. You hesitated too long to submit your application to Class Council. And you have no idea what other organizations you should join out of all the listservs you signed up for during Activities Fair.
Sound familiar?
This is similar to how I was feeling when I first decided to look into joining a lab. Luckily, I knew from the start that I was interested in conducting neuroscience research; however, I was not familiar with all the different fields of study that fit into the broad term ‘Neuroscience.’ There is Behavioral Neuroscience which includes looking at behavioral epigenetics, Sensory Neuroscience that can include studying the degeneration of the visual system, Clinical Neuroscience that can explore how to treat neurological disorders and rehabilitation after injury to the nervous system, and much more.
Due to joining a lab that investigates a variety of topics in neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration, I ended up very interested in the mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in the development of the sympathetic nervous system. Since my mentor Austin Keeler, a Postdoctoral Fellow, was involved with multiple research projects I got the privilege of learning about different topics and techniques that can be used to answer different research questions. I had the opportunity to look at bidirectional signaling of neurotrophic factors (how two receptors interact to influence axon growth) and be introduced to mass cytometry (a technique for studying cell properties).
While there were definitely hurdles in the beginning such as getting comfortable with mice, pipetting efficiently and quickly, and even having to measure out exactly .0015 grams of a reagent, the ability to ask questions and then trying to formulate how to answer them is extremely exciting and rewarding. As silly as it may sound, I definitely learned a few life lessons along the way as well. I firmly believe that engaging in research does not just allow a better understanding of the real-world applications of classroom learning, but also teaches patience and perseverance. I can now, without too much embarrassment, admit that during my first semester in the lab I botched up my first time running PCR. That definitely taught me that while I have reservations owning up to my mistakes, I needed to learn to ask questions - even when intimidated by a graduate student. I can even confess that I’ve accidentally cut myself on a small blade during my second year. I like to think that reminded me that one can’t rush good science.
Still, I find myself always eager to go into the lab, especially since I have found a project that I have worked on since its beginning and hope to turn into my senior thesis. Up until graduation, I hope to keep working on uncovering the role TrkA-containing extracellular vesicles (EVs) play in sympathetic neurodevelopment.
Advice for students trying to pursue research:
Start doing your own research on labs. There are many labs at UVA and most of them love working with undergraduates. While you can use USOAR to get involved initially, I recommend learning about different PIs and their main research topics. If their research sparks your interest, send them an email expressing why you find their research exciting and that you would like to join their lab. It helps having a template email so you can email multiple PIs at once.
Start early. While this doesn’t mean you have to start during your first semester at UVA, joining early means you can get to know your PI for a longer period of time. It also makes it easier to switch labs if after a semester or two your research interest changes.
Try spending part of your summer in your lab. I have spent four months in total at my lab these past two summers. I personally felt I was able to get to know my lab members better and also conduct more research that I can complete in a normal semester. It also makes the work you get done during the fall more productive since you can spend your summer perfecting your technique and procedures.
Read papers when you have the time. The end result of a research project is a publication. Getting familiar with their formats and understanding what the investigators’ research questions were and how they went about answering them will only improve your understanding of your own science. It’s also a fantastic way to keep up to date with current discoveries. Your mentor or other graduate students of your lab are usually willing to answer any questions you may have on a particular paper. Reading one of your PI’s papers before joining the lab will also increase your familiarity with the lab’s overall goals.
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