Cecilia Lam (‘27), a Psychology major, researched child passenger safety and the impact of violence prevention programs with mentorship from Dr. Rachel Myers (Department of Pediatrics). This research was supported by the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program.
This summer, I participated in two research projects. The first project was a collaborative retrospective cohort study on child passenger safety between Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The second project was a cross-sectional study that observed violence prevention programs to identify key outcomes of such programs to develop toolkits for measuring program impact. What drew me into these projects was their focus on minorities and youth. As a strong advocate for equality and accessibility, I wanted to pursue research on how we can serve all members of our community.
Through working on the child passenger safety project, I was introduced to new database software. I learned how to navigate patient charts on EPIC, the electronic health record system used at CHOP, and collect data. I learned how to enter data and edit project designs on REDCap, a secure, web-based application used for building and managing online surveys and databases for research studies. Through the CHOP and UAB partnership, I gained insight into collaborating with external partners while identifying differences between the systems at CHOP and Children’s of Alabama. Additionally, through the violence prevention evaluation project, I was introduced to a software called Covidence, allowing me to conduct efficient literature reviews of 3,196 scholarly texts.
Through PURM I gained experience in public health research, which differed significantly from participating in biology or chemistry laboratories in my science courses. This research experience allowed me to learn research methods I was unfamiliar with and opened my eyes to other research fields beyond laboratory work, which was one of my goals for this summer. I now see myself engaging with research that utilizes both qualitative and quantitative methods. Through this experience, I’ve learned that I enjoy critically examining data and discovering trends in information. It has reinforced my academic and career goal of pursuing research, while also inspiring me to remain open to opportunities I hadn’t previously considered, particularly those that intersect with public health and community impact.
By participating in both projects, I gained familiarity with research tools, became more comfortable with reading and extracting information from peer-reviewed literature, and learned how to maximize the use of Microsoft Office products—skills that I can translate to other opportunities in my professional career. These experiences not only improved my technical skills but also enhanced my critical thinking abilities. As I continue to pursue research, I will use the resources I’ve gained and the skills I’ve developed to aid me in my journey.
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