How/Why Research? As a first-year student, I learned the importance of research but I did not know if I would enjoy doing research. I thought the only way to figure it our was to find a lab to work at. Then, I attended research fairs and emailed lots of PIs from different labs. At the same time, I tried to make connections with people who were already doing research. Eventually, I found my current lab after several weeks, and I have enjoying working at this lab.
Research Experiences: I started working at my current lab as a paid technician during the second semester of my first year at UNC. I expressed my interests in research, and started to learn basic research techniques directly from a research faculty in the lab. I took one semester of BIOL395H, where I learned how to read and write scientific papers in class, aside from performing experiments in my lab. During the following summer, I was awarded Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), and continued my project. After SURF, I did my second semester of BIOL395, made a poster at the end, and presented it at the BIOL395 Research Poster Symposium. My research experience is one of the most valuable experiences in college. I have found my passion in research, and I will keep research as a part of my career in the future.