Shaping My Own Science

I conducted research with the Canna Lab to develop a test for familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a genetic disorder that causes hyperinflammation and immune system dysfunction. In my biology course, I found immunology and rheumatology topics most interesting, and I wanted to learn more about these fields by working with the Canna Lab. During several months in the lab, I learned a lot about the physiology and inner-workings of killer T-Cells. 

I started working with my lab after spring break of my first year, but this past summer was the first time I had the opportunity to develop my own research question and work more independently in the lab. The work I did was a preliminary step in a much longer process that will hopefully culminate in a successful test for familial HLH. There were many bumps along the way, especially when it came to extracting and maintaining cells, measuring mRNA levels, and performing the cytotoxicity assay. These challenges were very different from the types of challenges you might face in a classroom. Often in a course setting, there is a predetermined answer or outcome that you navigate towards. In the lab, I had to acknowledge that despite all the work, the experiment might not be successful. Knowing this, I learned to keep meticulous track of all the steps in the process so we could troubleshoot if something went wrong. Through this process, I also learned how to be more direct and precise with what I was doing.