The past month has come with many frustrations, but more importantly, successes! Before I was able to conduct experiments with samples from our targeted audience, I had to practice on screen-failure samples. Some background: I am conducting research on the cell-free DNA (cfDNA) methylation associated with suicide using serum. Screen-failure serums are drawn from the patient with intent to use, but are unable to be used for different reasons, one example being having a medical history of a concussion. This month I optimized a cfDNA magnetic bead protocol so I could extract the most amount of cfDNA possible with the materials and instruments I have available to me. After some trial-and-error with 16 different screen-failure serum samples, I am now confident with my protocol and technique which means next month will be dedicated to extracting cfDNA from viable serum samples! I had so much help and input from my colleagues and PI which led me to this next step. They have given me so much support and have taught me so much about different strategies, troubleshooting, and more! My previous courses at Cornell have also helped me with this process. Before starting my academic career at Cornell, reaching out for help was extremely difficult and felt embarrassing, but through the staff, tutors, and my peers, asking for help became so much easier. I have realized that everyone is learning when it comes to new processes, concepts, and ideas. cfDNA is a new concept to everyone in my lab, so it is amazing to be able to share my knowledge about it with my colleagues and for my colleagues to share their wisdom with similar, previous experiences in optimizing a protocol!
My protocol uses small magnetic beads to collect the cfDNA. This extraction uses extreme caution as to not move or disturb the beads, it takes a careful eye and a lot of focus!
On a side note, I have been working on my peer review with the public health librarian and have made lots of progress with that as well! Although I am just writing a peer review, I have been constructing my paper like a systematic review. This has been a long process and a lot of work. Through this experience, I have gained skills in navigating databases like PubMed, Embase, and Cinhal. My progress this month includes term harvesting and running a basic screening in each database. My next step is looking for duplicates between the three databases, screening all of the articles by title and abstract, and then reading the few articles I find relevant to my paper! After that is all said and done, I will write my review and start the publishing process which is so exciting!
Outside of the lab, I have had the honor of meeting with different students to help answer my questions on my continuing educational path. For a long time, I have been torn between pursuing just an MD degree or an MD and PhD program. I got to meet with different people in the MSTP program (MD and PhD) at the University of Iowa and just MD students with different career paths. I personally have an interest in general surgery, but I have found a love for research. Through talking to all of these different students, I have found that it really depends on what type of timeline and personal goals I have for myself. This has made me do a lot of soul searching. I have always had a ‘big picture’ of what I wanted my life to look like after schooling, but I never thought to incorporate the dedication and timeline of my education. There are many pros and cons to both paths and I do not have a clear answer for myself right now. I know it will come to me in time, and I am so excited to see where I end up! I’ve learned and grown so much in the past month and know I will continue throughout this experience and beyond!
Not everything has to be in the lab! In my spare time, I enjoy going on walks around the city, going to see live music, and attending presentations/lectures from other departments and organizations!