Goals & Learning
Goals & Learning
How Goal Fits into Future Career: Knowing how to operate software programs in the lab is an important tool for data analysis, and being able to perform the lab techniques to gather samples in the first place is essential as well.
How to Meet this Goal
1. Learn genomic PCR, Western blot, etc.
March 2024 Update: I have done PCR in both my cell and tissue mechanics lab and at Dr. Walker's lab. I have done Western Blots quite extensively (at least 10 times) since starting in August 2023. I was able to shadow a denervation surgery as well as perform the surgery, with supervision. I have learned how to prepare protein lysates for a bicinchoninic acid (BCA) assay, read the absorbance values of the protein, and compare them to a set of standards (i.e., standard curve).
2. Attend lab seminars/meetings
March 2024 Update: Due to my class schedule coinciding with the internship site's lab meetings, I have not been able to attend any, but have kept up with tasks assigned to me throughout - I will continue to stay engaged throughout the remainder of this internship.
3. Practice regularly on different tasks, with guidance from the lab manager.
March 2024 Update: I have refined basic laboratory techniques (pipetting) and have worked with ImageJ and Microsoft Excel regularly.
How Goal Fits into Future Career: It is important to be able to work on a team, and it is also important to know how to work most effectively on your own. Being able to complete tasks on your own can show to your supervisor/PI/etc. that you can take initiative and manage workloads- they may gain more trust in your ability over time.
How to Meet this Goal
1. Read research or other relevant literature to have baseline knowledge of topics or procedures.
March 2024 Update: I have read Dr. Walker's and other researcher's papers on the role of CTMP in skeletal muscle atrophy and how it contributes to our understanding of Lou Gehrig's Disease/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
2. After initial training/onboarding, find at least one specific project that is of interest, and request permission from supervisor and/or lab manager to give more focus to it.
March 2024 Update: The specific project selected is focusing on "The Role of CTMP in Skeletal Muscle Atrophy." Subsequent experiences have focused on investigating what upregulates or downregulates CTMP.
3. Review math skills or other analytical skills.
March 2024 Update: Utilizing Microsoft Excel for statistical analysis has reinforced related concepts. I have been taking a probability and statistics class for biomedical engineering students for the spring 2024 semester, which has also helped me to grow my understanding.
How Goal Fits into Future Career: Nearly every role, especially engineers, requires you to be able to work effectively on a team. Knowing how best to work with others will help work in my career go more smoothly. Having teamwork in behind-the-scenes roles facilitates a more polished final product than if the team was not coherent.
How to Meet this Goal
1. Work with other students or lab technicians on projects or daily tasks they have in the lab.
March 2024 Update: Due to the size of the lab and the schedules of each person, there have not been many opportunities to work with others on their projects; instead, I have worked most often with the lab manager on receiving and completing tasks. There have been a few instances where I have watched and listened to others work through a protocol in the lab.
2. Attending workshops or going to presentations of research could give pointers on what I could implement in my future presentations.
March 2024 Update: I have attended some talks from speakers as part of the BeingME Speaker Series through IUPUI's BME department. What I have learned most from those speakers is the importance of soft skills. After LHSI, I plan to attend
3. Present research poster at the LHSI showcase.
March 2024 Update: With an electronic format required, it will be important to have an accessible, legible layout of information. To prepare for the showcase, I will review literature related to CTMP and my overall progress throughout my time in Dr. Walker's lab.
Fall 2023 | Snapshot of Progress
Some of the skills I am already confident in are being able to welcome feedback/constructive criticism, being on time and sticking to a fairly consistent schedule, and take some initiative with wanting to learn new things.
I would definitely like to become more confident in general, whether it is working on a team or individually. I also want to feel more competent with more lab procedures than I currently know. Lastly, I want to be able to better articulate research and the materials around it. Dr. Walker has had me read ALS literature and we will continue to look into that. My lab manager has had me training on animal procedures so that I am able to work directly with the mice. I believe these are tangible steps to become better in the areas I am not as confident in.
Recently, I have been transitioning to working on Western Blots by myself, more or less. My PI and/or lab manager are there to help if I have quick questions. I have gained much more confidence and competence in the procedure, and have noticed improvements on my own. For example, the membranes I use for reading the Blot have become less messy and a little clearer than when I first started Western Blots. There is plenty of improvement to be made but I have a solid foundation and supportive people in the lab.
Working in Dr. Walker's lab has given me insight into what it takes to conduct research - I had some idea of it but there is so much that goes into it. Learning procedures in the lab has helped me gain familiarity with common reagents, tools, etc. that I have used in other classes, like BME 38300: Biomaterials Lab.
Spring 2024 | Snapshot of Progress
Compared to Fall 2023, I have more understanding of Dr. Walker's research and have learned more procedures. New experiences include performing a denervation surgery on a mouse (cutting the sciatic nerve in the right hind limb), bicinchoninic acid (BCA) assay and comparing absorbances of diluted protein lysate samples against a set of albumin standards to determine the total protein concentration in each sample.
Over the academic year, I have grown much in certain areas and desire to grow in those that I did not develop as much, in comparison. What I am most proud of is becoming less ashamed or hesitant to admit what I do not understand, what I struggle with, and vocalizing what my needs are. This has translated to other areas of my life, which has improved my relationships and given me deeper satisfaction and understanding from my loved ones. Before this internship, I would have not taken as much help out of fear of judgment. What I still struggle with is being able to take what I have learned and translate it to a presented problem or project - I try to be a perfectionist rather than find out what does not work through trial and error. Connecting what I learn to how it can be applied is what I need to focus on honing, especially with my senior capstone project beginning in Fall 2024.