How/Why Research? I got involved in gene therapy research because of its potential to treat and even cure genetic diseases that were previously thought to be untreatable. The idea of being able to improve people’s lives, especially those who may not have any other treatment options, really motivated me to pursue this kind of research, especially as someone who wants to pursue a career in medicine. I attended various OUR workshops in the beginning of my freshman year where I learned how to network and cold email professors. I cold emailed all the professors who work in the UNC School of Medicine’s Gene Therapy Center, and I was lucky enough to be offered an undergraduate research position. I have now since been involved in the Fu Lab for more than a year.
Research Experience: I was fortunate enough to start research in high school, where I gained brief research exposure in computational biology. At UNC, I’ve been at the Fu Lab for over a year. The skills I’ve gained working there have been invaluable, ranging from developing molecular biology techniques to data analysis to scientific writing. Just this past semester, I completed an individual project through BIOL 395 class credit and am looking to continue it next semester. I was also able to network and land a research and development internship this summer at Labcorp Drug Development where I’ll definitely use the skills I gained at Fu Lab.
Student Organizations/Clubs: Alpha Epsilon Delta (UNC’s pre-health honor society), Carolina Scientific
Also Happy to Chat about: Emailing Professors, Pre-Health Career Path, Talking with Professors, Networking, Workstudy Opportunities, Fitting Research into a Busy Schedule, Finding Research Internships
Random Fun Fact: I used to live in Singapore for seven years!