Editor's note: The Voices of Summer Students are selected guest blog posts written by different students and mentors who were part of the Massachusetts General Hospital Summer Student Research Program created to fulfill MGH's educational mission to train the next generation of scientists. The following guest blog post was written by Katya Tjahaja, a senior at Eckerd College majoring in Biology.
At the culmination of my 10 weeks as a summer research intern at the Center for Genomic Medicine (CGM) at Massachusetts General Hospital, I found it difficult to believe that I was about to return to Florida and complete m
y senior year.
As one of the students selected to join Susan Slaugenhaupt’s, PhD, program this summer, the experience at the Center for Genomic Medicine monumentally shaped my understanding of research as the backbone of our world.
At Eckerd College, where nine of the summer interns hailed from this year, I am a Biology major on the Molecular track with minors in Creative Writing and Chemistry.
Aside from conducting research in both the Dobrin Honey Bee Neurobiology Lab and Flaherty C. elegans lab, I am the Editor-In-Chief of The Triton, our official student media organization.
I also enjoy being an EMT on our response team, EC-ERT, the president of TriBeta, as well as a coordinator for the Academic Honor Council.
Last year, I received a scholarship to investigate racism in medicine through the Eastman Leadership and Citizenship program.
Over the last year, I was inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) National Leadership honors society as well as Phi Beta Kappa (PBK).
During the ten weeks in Boston, I had the privilege of being placed in the Soukas lab investigating aging, obesity and diabetesunder the mentorship of Alexander Soukas, MD, PhD, and Ashley Duke, PhD Candidate.
Specifically, I helped to examine the Nuclear Pore Complex structure and function as it relates to metformin-mediated pathways in lifespan extension.
The experience in the lab taught me the ins and outs of maintaining c. elegans – an animal model used in science to study human diseases –in addition to the highs and lows of immunoblots (or Western Blots), immunoprecipitation and creating transgenic mutants.
I was trained on how to handle sterile equipment and collect images using various microscopes.
Aside from--and just as valuable as--the research skills, I learned that conducting research requires full dedication and passion.
Working in science means your schedule may not be a 9-5 with weekends off, and you won’t know with certainty that your efforts will culminate in immediate results.
Rather, I discovered that science requires patience and perseverance. In order to succeed you have to celebrate the small victories that help you achieve your larger goals.
Everyone in the lab was welcoming and patient despite their busy schedules and immensely long to-do lists.
They took the time to listen and thoroughly explain without judgment towards questions I thought to be silly (but there aren’t silly questions in science, really).
The overall environment of the lab was conducive to the science being researched (and the free snacks at lab meetings made it all the much sweeter).
Outside of the lab bays, I was invited to take tours of Mass General, The Ragon Institute of MGH, Harvard and MIT and the Broad Institute, as well as attend seminars led by CGM faculty with a plethora of knowledge, tips and tricks.
Similar to the temperament of my lab colleagues, all the guest speakers and tour guides were more than happy to answer questions and connect you with anyone else.
Being exposed to science in these different settings and understanding various perspectives to running a lab helped carve my knowledge regarding real-world scientific research. The seminars on academic and career paths strengthened my perception of what my future could look like.
Being in Boston and working next to a large hospital such as Mass General has many perks.
One of the most memorable opportunities I experienced was shadowing five surgeries with Elan Witkowksi, MD, MSc, and one with Hiroko Kunitake, MD, MPH.
As an aspiring doctor, witnessing how efficient and deliberate the surgeons were with the procedures was truly exciting.
Outside of the operating room (OR), they were responsive to any questions about their day-to-day work and were genuinely passionate about making their observers understand.
On top of shadowing surgeons, I had the opportunity to spend a day with Armen Yerevanian, MD, (editor's note: we worked on a story with Dr. Yerevanian, check it out to learn more about his fascinating research work!) at his endocrinology clinic, where I not only learned more about diabetes but also bore witness to a clinician who truly cared about each of his patients.
These experiences consolidated my passion for medicine and inspired me to pursue a career as a doctor.
Another key experience I had this summer was conversing with Elena Olson, JD, regarding racism in medicine and the work of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) at Mass General.
We were able to discuss the intricacies of increasing the diversity of physicians and accommodating different patients’ needs.
With the summer program being over, I carry fond memories of the people who have challenged me intellectually and changed the way I approach science.
For any future summer interns, I recommend being diligent in the lab you’ve been assigned whilst also reaching out for any opportunities that may be of interest to you. Come to the program with an open mind and leave with a deepened love for science.
About the Mass General Research Institute
Research at Massachusetts General Hospital is interwoven through more than 30 different departments, centers and institutes. Our research includes fundamental, lab-based science; clinical trials to test new drugs, devices and diagnostic tools; and community and population-based research to improve health outcomes across populations and eliminate disparities in care.
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