Field Trip to Harvard Cambridge Campus

On Tuesday August 3rd, we went to the Harvard Cambridge Campus, the college known as the best college in the world, and of course, our faces were glowing with excitement.

First, we went into the Agassiz building and met two lovely and friendly harvard students, who told a lot of information about the university and led us into the campus. We learned some interesting facts about Harvard: First, John Harvard is actually not the founder of the university, but just a benefactor. Second, long time ago the library caught a fire and most of the priceless books and paintings were destroyed. Third, the Statue and John Harvard actually does not look like John Harvard because the person who was the model for his statue was not him (nobody knew how John Harvard looked like). It was very interesting to hear about these fun facts, standing in the middle of the campus.

Second, we went to the Science Center, which was constructed in an awesome stair-like structure. We got into the building and tried to sneak inside the one of the lecture halls. However, we had to get out because a guy (maybe a professor) kicked us out, saying "no tourists allowed in here." Also, there was a seven meters long calculator, which looked pretty cool but also scary at the same time.

After lunch, we went to Harvard Museum, which was located near the Science Center. It had almost everything inside from small organisms like insects to huge mammals like whales. In one of the rooms there was a box that contained about 150 insects in different categories such as predator and herbivores. The interesting thing about this bug box was that all the herbivores were really big, while the many of the predators were really small like a mice pooh. When I was observing this box, I was able to sense that it was trying to give me a lesson of life: Do not underestimate or ignore the deadliness of small ones.

The Harvard University tour was very pleasant and memorable. Even though most of us hang out and walk around the Harvard Square and heard a lot about the university, there were so many things that we did not know and that were fascinating to learn. Some of Harvard-haters among us actually began to like Harvard after the tour. It will be interesting to see if some of us will be able to conquer the Harvard College. Going to the best college in the world is not the most important thing in our lives, but I want to believe that there is a reason why we, the RAP interns, are accepted to this extraordinary program and having these invaluable experiences in our different workplaces.

Interview Questions!

On July 20th, I interviewed Anthony Covarrubias, one of my co-workers in my laboratory. He is someone like a big brother for me in my workplace. He has taught me many techniques and things that I need to know in the lab. He is a very funny person and soothes me whenever I make some mistake. His existence in the lab has helped to adjust to work and get used to the things going on in the laboratory.

It was a privilege for me to learn about his life, which was filled with passion and love for science.

Name: Anthony Covarrubias, Ph.D Candidate in Wendy Garrett Lab

How did you get to where you are right now?

"I believe I got to where I am at as a Ph.D candidate at Harvard University by following what I truly love to do. I initially did not know that I wanted to get a Ph.D in science, but I always knew I wanted to be involved in scientific research. Thus, when I started college, I started doing research on plants for two years. Later, I wanted my work to have an impact on diseases that affect disadvantaged and communities of color. Thus, I did science research on hepatitis, cancer, obesity, and AIDS during the next few years. In summary, I got to where I am now by hard work, determination, and luck (I was fortunate to work with people who cared about mentoring me)."

If you had any trouble or hardship as you pursue the career of science, what would that be and how did you overcome it?

"For me, science has been a journey, in which I have worked with many different professors and students on many different topics. Although there are many labs researching a variety of topics, the biggest challenge for me was always getting my foot in the door. It takes a lot of time and resources to add someone (especially a young person with no experience) to a research team. Thus, finding the right lab and topic is one challenge, and equally challenging is convincing them to take you on. However, once you join, if you work hard and are dedicated, everything else will fall into place."

What is the favorite part of your job?

"My favorite part of my job is being able to think of interesting scientific questions and also being able to answer them in creative ways. I think being the first one in the world to know about a interesting science result and also knowing that you have contributed to the scientific community is very enjoyable."

What excites you about the research you are doing?

"The research I am doing is exciting because it allows me to answer questions about how a cancer cell functions. This will allow scientists to learn more about how this deadly disease works and how we can invent new strategies to defeat it. It may also have an impact in the clinic and may one day allow doctors to treat their patients more effectively."

What do you think the most important personality or trait is that a scientist should possess?

"I think the most important trait a scientist should have is persistence and determination. Often science can be like a roller coaster ride with its ups and downs. There may be many weeks in which experiments will yield very little results or don't work. Thus, a scientist should have the resilience to keep working hard and eventually the hard work will be rewarded with important and interesting data. On the contrary, you may have very good results, but it is important to acknowledge the many people on your research team and the countless other scientists who have contributed to your field of study."

Could you give me some advice that would help me to succeed as a scientist?

"My advice to a young person trying to succeed in science is to pursue science that is fun and meaningful to the researcher. This means finding the right lab, a good mentor, and also a interesting science project. I would also suggest that you work with different people and explore all your options. If you try to meet more people and can make strong connections with them, you will be able to get more perspectives and advice that you can use to help yourself in the future."

Thank you so much, Anthony!!

Reflecting my experiences in HSPH at the midpoint XD

The fact that this is the fourth week of RAP Program makes me feel so accomplished and excited. I am so happy that I was able to make through this far, and also happy to imagine how the remaining three weeks are going to be. I am so sure that many new and precious experiences are waiting for me and that I will be able to finish the program successfully and fruitfully.

The most interesting about my lab work is that everything I had been learning and practicing over the past two or three weeks matters significantly. Also, the fact that all the things that I had learnt are connected to each other really surprises me. At this moment, I am working on a little task that I have to show how the propionic acid affect the growth of CT26 cells (mice colon cancer cells). In order to finish this task successfully, I have to know how to use centrifuge, pipettes, and etc., how to make media with exact measurements, how to count cells, how to calculate the exact proportions of various liquids that are in different concentrations, and how to keep everything sterile in order to avoid contamination. These are all the techniques that I had been learning throughout the past three weeks, and after several mistakes, I experienced how important it is to have a well-trained techniques because it is impossible to do experiments successfully without them. If you do not have a good techniques, expensive lab necessities can get contaminated or become useless.

The field trips and lunches that I had so far had influenced me very much. Especially, the field trip to Children's Hospital was very interesting because I was able to learn about the careers and jobs that I never knew about. Also, it provided me with some sort of idea of what kind of job I would love to have and what kind of job that I would not be happy to have. The lunch meeting with DBS undergraduates was so fun and memorable because it was my first time having conversations with about 15 different people in such a short time. I learned how to listen to what others have to say about themselves and how to tell people about me effectively and briefly. Also, I was so surprised at how brave and determined they were; some of them were from other far states, and some of them knew what they want to do with their lives. In addition, it was very interesting to hear how they managed to survive their senior years and how they prepared for college. I am very thankful for all of the field trips and lunches I had so far; they enriched my experience as one of the interns of RAP.

My Workplace: Han Gil

Hello, my name is Han Gil Jeong, and I am currently participating in the Research Apprenticeship Program internship at the Harvard School of Public Health. I am working in the Wendy Garrett Lab, and out lab is studying and doing research mainly on colorectal cancer. The object in the photo shown on the left is called "hood." It is used when I have to do experiments, in which I have to keep everything sterile and clean. Before using the hood, I have to put gloves on and spray alcohol all over my hands in order to avoid contaminating samples or equipments. Although sometimes I execute some dangerous experiments, I am safe from those hazardous and toxic substances since the air that blows inside the hood isolates them.

Han Gil's

What's your name?

Han Gil Jeong

What do you like to do in your free time?

I love to listen to music, play tennis, watch movie, and sleep.

Describe what you're doing at RAP and how you feel about it.

I'm working in Garrett Lab, and our main focus of study at this moment is colorectal cancer. So far, I have been learning different techniques in the lab such as how to use equipments, how to handle hazardous chemicals, and how to be friends with mice in the basement. I am very excited about many different things that I learn everyday, and I feel very blessed to have this opportunity.

Tell me a little about yourself. What kind of music do you like? What's your favorite color? What's your sign? What clothes do you like to wear?

-I like all the genres, but I mostly listen to rock, R&B, rap, and electronic music. My favorite artists would be Maroon 5, Coldplay, Norah Jones, OneRepublic, Paramore, Eric Benet, Kanye West, Eminem, and Jason Mraz. I can put down some more, but I better stop now because it might be endless :P
-I love any bluish color.
-I'm an aquarius.
-I like to dress casually & slightly formally: dress pants, shirts, and sometimes tie.

What's something cool or interesting you learned this week that you didn't know before?

I learned how cute the mice are. The baby mice are the cutest animals in the world. I dream about them almost every night. I also learned that getting results from experiment requires high level of skill, patience, and concentration.

What's your dream job?

A doctor/bioengineer/drug developer/diplomat

Final (very important) question: Pancakes? Waffles? French toast??

Why isn't cereal one of the options? This is not fair. Just sayin.