isaac Hoskins

ABOUT THE RESEARCHER:

1.     Who are you doing research with this summer and what kind of research project are you doing?

I am doing research with Dr. Robinson and I am doing research into the medical philosophy and linguistics of the Ancient Physician Galen of Pergamum.

2.     What do you find fascinating in the research you’re doing?

I find Galen’s impact on the history and legacy of medicine that still impacts us today as something extremely worthy of study and am highly fascinated by it. 

3.     What skills are you learning through the USURF experience?

I am learning language comprehension skills as I am having to interact with ancient Greek texts, as well as learning from and responding to secondary materials in my writings. It is very interesting to gain the skills to feel that you are able to have a voice and interact with your research area and hopefully contribute to the fields ever expanding knowledge. I have also been learning how to utilize digital linguistic software which has been very challenging and fun. 

4.     What are the challenges you’re encountering in your research?

As we are researching someone who has passed a long time ago, and who spoke a very different language than our own, it is quite challenging to try to understand and interpret what he was trying to explain in his work. 

5.     How is your USURF experience impacting the way you view your field?

It is making me realize how important interdisciplinary study is to be able to excel in any field. Having a lot of different expertise in different topics allows as lot of new ways to look at and integrate knowledge. Such as being able to imply knowledge I learned in bioinformatics-based microbiology courses into studying Galen or looking at scientific methods and standards through a more ethical and philosophical lens. 

6.     Tell us something interesting about yourself.

I enjoy hiking and the outdoors, and have done the Manitou Incline many times, which is rated as an extreme difficulty trail.