How/Why Research? It’s always been such an intense passion of mine to become a doctor but I knew very little about research. Upon entering university, I knew I wanted to pursue research and these additional aspects of scientific exploration but I had no idea how. I wanted to assist in research that was relevant to my major, so I contacted and emailed many PIs in the Psychology and Neuroscience department, including the departments in the UNC School of Medicine. I made sure to attach my resume and outline my interests so the PIs could get to know a little about me. Dr. Nicole Short agreed to meet with me and following an interview, offered me a research assistant position in her lab!
Research Experience: Since August 2020, I have been volunteering at the UNC Institute for Trauma Recovery. I identify issues that arise while testing our technology-based therapeutic intervention, code data for literature reviews, and track participants in our RISE Pilot Study. I’ve gained many valuable skills while working in the STAR Lab and benefitted from attentive and beneficial mentorship from my PI. I also completed a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow (SURF) in this lab, where I ran statistical analyses to characterize rates of reported pain following sexual assault and analyze the associations between pain and physical injury.
Student Organizations/Clubs: Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Health Society.
Random Fun Fact: I’m captain of the dance team Bhangra Elite here at UNC! Bhangra is a style of dance from Northern India.