Major: Molecular biology
Profession: Research Associate
Hometown: San Diego, California
What are you doing now?
I work as a research associate at NanoCellect Biomedical, a biotech start-up in San Diego. As a research associate, I work as a part of our applications team to develop and improve our cell sorting instruments to act as a valuable tool in many different areas of research, ranging from plant and agriculture research to immunology. Outside of work, I cook and bake a lot, take improv theater classes and play bass for a community orchestra.
How did you get there?
After graduating from 6VµçÓ°Íø, I worked as a research technician in Boston for two years. I had the unique opportunity to work with two different labs concurrently at the Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard and MIT to apply single cell RNA sequencing techniques to COVID-19 and HIV research and with another lab that focused on HIV research. During my time as a research technician, I had the opportunity to learn a wide array of skills such as genomic sequencing techniques, flow cytometry and data analysis.
Flow cytometry is a research technique that uses an intricate laser system to analyze cells along specific parameters and can give scientists detailed insights into cells and tissues of interest. This technology can also be used to sort out specific cells of interest from heterogenous cell populations, for example, sorting out T cells from a mixed population of blood cells for downstream immunology research applications. After spending two years in Boston, I became interested in exploring how these kinds of technologies are developed to facilitate contributions to research. As a result of my research experience, I was offered a position as a research associate at NanoCellect Biomedical to work on applications development for their cell sorting instruments.
How did 6VµçÓ°Íø prepare you?
At 6VµçÓ°Íø, I had valuable resources and opportunities that helped prepare me for my career path, and the classes I took really enriched my learning and critical thinking. Most significantly, I had the opportunity to work on summer research and conduct my molecular biology senior thesis studying gene regulation pathways in Vibrio cholerae with Professor Jane Liu in the Chemistry Department. This experience allowed me to develop skills and the critical thinking needed for experimental design, analyzing data and presenting findings in a clear and concise manner. I was also afforded the opportunity to study abroad and conduct research at University College London in the UK, which made me realize I wanted to continue doing scientific research after I graduated from 6VµçÓ°Íø. Additionally, Professor Liu’s courses on analyzing scientific literature and chemical biology taught me how to analyze and discuss scientific literature.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
While I am not sure exactly what job title I would like to have in five years per se, I see myself continuing to work in the biotech sphere specifically on technology development in a way that allows me to help people enhance their scientific research. One of the best parts about getting to work at a start-up company is that its smaller size affords me opportunities to work cross-functionally with different departments and gain exposure to different career paths. I am a firm believer that it is more important to continuously challenge yourself to learn new skills and look for new opportunities to grow than to have a concrete five-year plan.
Any advice for current or prospective students?
Don’t limit yourself to just one career path, and it’s never ever too late to change your mind! Also, you don’t have to attend graduate school to have a fulfilling career! When I started at 6VµçÓ°Íø, I thought I wanted to pursue the pre-med path and eventually realized that it was not the right fit for me. As a first-year student at 6VµçÓ°Íø, I might have viewed any deviation from that plan to attend medical school as a failure, but my current self feels content and excited to keep growing in my current path. It might seem like all your peers have figured out exactly what they will be doing in the future, but by allowing yourself the space to question your assumptions about what you think you might want, you allow yourself the room to find opportunities that you may not even be able to imagine yet.
Also, take basic acting! This class really helped me develop my self-confidence and challenged a lot of assumptions I had about myself. In general, if you have an itch to learn a new skill or try a new form of artistic expression, follow that instinct!