How/Why Research? I have been engaged in biomedical research since high school, and have found it to be a valuable experience in preparing for a future career in medicine. Research is a way to expand the learning done in the class to a practical space, and I find this application to be rewarding intellectually. Research also allows the mixing of different fields of study, and I have supplemented my biological research experiences with clinical research projects that measure treatment efficacy in oncology patients.
Research Experiences: I currently work in the Bloom Lab in the Department of Biology. Most of the projects I help with involve applying computer science and machine learning to the imaging of important biological structures, such as the kinetochore. This experience has been valuable in showing me the various ways in which different disciplines can contribute to investigation. I also help with clinical research performed by an oncologist at UNC hospitals, and have worked on projects ranging from cataloguing costs for common cancer screening procedures to cataloguing the effectiveness of novel treatments.