June 24, 2024 – Fighting the Monotony of Being at the Start
A set agenda dictated my plans for the day – until it didn’t.
As I settled into my cubicle after the bus ride, my phone rang. David was on the line, instructing me to prepare some chemicals and media for his arrival and while I appreciate the responsibility, there’s a clear discrepancy between equal acknowledgment and the father-like manner in which he directs me, expecting me to fail but offering encouragement and correction. I choose to follow the path God has set for me – an ambitious young man of God who must be collaborated with, not coddled or controlled.
Besides the routine lab work and observing David optimize procedures for efficiency, I focused on my classes. Initially intimidated by coding due to poor experiences with Python and Java, I found RStudio more understandable. After resolving some loading issues through online discussion boards and reaching out to my professor, Haley, I received readings from David to begin my true journey into my project goals. For the first time, I sat at my cubicle during lunch, making myself available to finally get the show on the road. No more holding back the purpose God set in my heart I’ve initiated living in the frame I’m called to maintain with all the dignity of a son of God.
June 25, 2024 – Intellectual Due Diligence
Erin, a recent Stanford Bioengineering graduate, joined the lab yesterday. She presented alongside me after Vukasin whose work sparked numerous questions in me that I followed up on. Despite my tendency to feel sleepy during presentations, Erin’s talk was eye-opening: she took her work seriously and made it a part of herself. My presentation went well; I projected well and kept interest but didn’t allocate much time to the research update section, failing to build a comprehensive roadmap for my project. Erin, presented a well-thought-out roadmap for her summer research in a way that was easily digestible. Until I can do the same, I won’t truly understand my research.
The rest of the day was spent absorbing as much information as possible. Lunch with Kody, a new postdoc, Erin, Carlos, and Vukasin was an exercise in sharing to begin and lead the conversation, as there was little familiarity among us. Here I delved into Vukasin’s collaboration with the NHGRI, surrounding potential molecular signaling pathway targets for a rare disease called FSASD. We built on the thread of mice/rat research, which was surprisingly riveting. I also learned about Erin’s rationale behind switching labs and her desire to focus on tissue engineering after her biotech endeavor – we chatted all the way back to our cubicles.
In the afternoon, I joined David to differentiate some nociceptors. There were enough extra cells for me to try the day 3 protocol in my own 6-well plate and I made a few errors, spilling PBS into the wells with cells, but I prayed the nocispheres would come out spherical and vowed to do better tomorrow. I also talked with Kody about his experience transitioning from Long Island, New York, to our lab and his doctorate, which he defended just a month ago. Though I could hardly follow, my neighbor Judy helped me contextualize this as part of being the best sponge I could be. I must absorb the knowledge, experience, and skills of everyone in the lab so that when asked to demonstrate what I’ve learned, I can deliver far more than expected.
June 26, 2024 – Entering My Angel Phase
Nonstop lab work characterized my day, but I finally moved up from shadow/observer to assistant.
My English professor gave us a lecture on how the industrial revolution categorized people into factory stages: worker, manager, and company owner. I think I’ve been a factory worker, constantly learning what to do while slowly grasping the reasoning behind it all. Today, Carlos started by showing us interns the nociceptor differentiation protocol, which I already felt comfortable with and could explain to the others. This mentality shift, from participant to contributor, is what I perceived as the switch.
We saw Carlos perform electroporation to create a new reporter cell line using Cas9 – my first time seeing CRISPR in action. David joined us, expressing interest in using this technique in the future, possibly as a meaningful way for me to contribute. Afterward, David and I talked about the research process, his experiences, and the path that led him to his current position. We stayed in the lab until seven in the evening, discussing everything from his PhD exams at Georgetown to his research at the NIH, which took 100% of my concentration to follow. I did relatively little lab work but boosted my confidence and started feeling more connected to my mentor’s research process.
June 27, 2024 – Optimization Complete-ish
David mentioned during our first group lunch that research is 80% optimization, a sentiment echoed by Tony’s friend who spent two years setting up a rat line. I’m glad it only took me 30% of my time as an SIP intern at NCATS to discover the path of least resistance: taking a new bus route from Woodbridge to Metro Center, then the red line and another bus to 9800 MCD. This route eliminated my daily parking fee, maximized my sleep-to-active-thinking ratio, significantly reduced my commute time, and brought me back to my comfort zone.
Subsequent to my subpar sleep after a family visit, I stayed on energy-saving mode in the lab. Work was more stimulating than usual since I was reading papers David sent and working on my roadmap. I helped Erin get acclimated to the lab, though it was disheartening that she picked up things faster and was given agency before me. I demonstrated making media as she went through the differentiation protocol on her own. I prepared for Western Blot analysis the next day.
The other exciting news was David’s detailed explanation of our project. Initially, during his updates, I struggled to stay awake. Today, I listened intently, anticipating his words and connecting the variables he presented. The satisfaction of asking a genuinely good question was unparalleled, and I spent lunch trying to further connect the dots. I’ll continue reading all the background papers and updates to understand the project as well as he does. David seems more relaxed with the timeline than I am, perhaps because I feel a pressing need to make a genuine impact in a short time. Nevertheless, I’m certain he wants to enrich my professional life by helping me produce a decent poster and understand as many lab techniques as possible. I’ll do my part, following along earnestly and pushing just enough to challenge myself without burning out.
June 28, 2024 – Personal Advocacy in Tiny Gains
Lost in the professional art of communication and in the third-floor lobby while looking for Jeanita Clay Pritchett’s office, our meeting resolved both issues.
The day had a weak start due to a 20-minute metro delay, rescued by my habit of arriving early . Then my friend Daniel helped me register for the STARS training and we visited the group of interns on the third floor before my meeting with Jeanita. For the past three weeks, I’ve preserved my self-image by being amenable and humble, sometimes to the point of lacking self-respect. Jeanita called me out when I said, “I’m just a rising sophomore, so I don’t get as much responsibility…” Her story of evolution and advice on preparing with affirmations and adequate preparation made being a confident and enjoyable intern seem within reach.
Together with Erin (and Kody at times), I ran a BCA protein assay for the Western Blot we had to push to Monday. During short breaks, I applied Jeanita’s advice on properly asking people by providing solutions to their problems. I viewed Seungmi’s microplate washer dispenser with a robotic arm and other machines for creating and maintaining her DRGOs with Erin. It was an opportunity I would’ve been too afraid to ask for before, but Jeanita’s approach to asking with intention helped me. Instead of being a burden, I perceived genuine excitement from Erin.
The reason we didn’t run the Western was monumental – David got the PRAT fellowship, a special NIH intramural grant increasing his pay and incorporating him into a cohort of high-achieving postdocs! Though I missed group lunch to eat with the interns, we ended the day at Yard House to celebrate my mentor’s achievement. There, I learned about Vukasin’s contributions to stem cell differentiation protocols in the SCTL and recruitment efforts. I enjoyed listening to Kody’s days in undergrad as a frat bro and his transition to an introverted postdoc due to the low stipend and consistent love for research. I also enjoyed the Filipino back-and-forth between Erin and David, who apparently has more Bosnian than Spanish in him. Carlos spoke the least, but he’s still the one I’m inspired by most – I’ll continue to purposefully converse with him whenever I get the chance.