About the Internship

The reason why this lab is involved in the research of the therapeutic index of all steps of venous thromboembolism diagnosis and treatment, is because of wanting to have a positive impact on daily lives.  The goal is to create new technologies for not only other researchers to build upon, but also so the people using the technology can enjoy more aspects of life without as many hindrances. 

The work being done involves multiple different methods of blood analysis, such as clotting and digesting.  It also focuses on the technologies used now, such as the best kind of filters being used to allow certain solutions to pass through.

Original: Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) Pathology. (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. Retrieved February 22, 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYm9MBZFaic 

Workplace

My strengths as a team member in the lab are my newer perspectives for what is observed in the lab, because having someone younger and inexperienced like me allows for more communication to help everyone understand the research.  As the internship has gone by, I've been more willing to get into newer work that others are working on.  I'm also a quick learner and have learned several new topics and methods of data collection.  These include HPLC, injections, Chandler loops, and computerized microscopy data observation.

I want to grow professionally as someone who can collect scientific data and run experiments by myself without having someone else to guide me or check in on my lab procedures.  As a teammate, I want to grow in regard to how much I can help the others in my lab, not just with helping their lab procedures, but also helping them with any other problems they may be facing.  As time has gone on, I have grown as someone who can now help complete experimental procedures without someone constantly over my shoulder.  I still want to continue to grow as a teammate and become someone who can communicate both problems and solutions well with my peers.

My efforts have helped certain experiments run faster and more efficiently.  When experimenting with filters under different conditions, me being present allowed for the experiment to run faster and smoother, as I was able to sonicate the samples and add solvent while the person I was shadowing was performing the injections and preparing the samples for sonication.

I have been able to learn from several people I work with, all of them provide a unique perspective to work with.  The lab manager works as almost an instructor who informs me what major orders are required in order to run the lab efficiently.  I have also been working with a college senior who I can relate more with, and I have learned more about transitioning from school to lab work from him.