This past summer, I did my practicum at the Levi Lab at Georgetown University’s Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology. The lab researched treatments for renal diseases and associated symptoms. In particular, my work focused on further exploring a treatment called Nicotinamide Riboside and finding the mechanisms for which it alleviates renal dysfunction.
The site supervisor was Dr. Moshe Levi who is the principal investigator for the lab. I came in contact with him after discussing my desire to pursue research with a family friend who pointed me in his direction. I emailed him later and we had an interview after which I was taken into the lab. I started interning there at the beginning of the summer of 2022 and came back to do my practicum during the summer of 2023.
For future scholars hoping to obtain a research internship or work in a lab, I recommend cold emailing professors and faculty in the department they would like to gain experience in. The worst that anyone can say is no and they may keep your contact information for future reference. Furthermore, try to network using professional social networking sites, such as Linkedin. Make connections with individuals who conduct research that interests you. I additionally recommend contacting the career center at UMD. As a member of the animal sciences program at UMD, we receive weekly newsletters on opportunities in the area, including research opportunities. The career center or faculty within your major’s department may know of opportunities that fit your interests. Therefore, make sure to reach out and see what’s available.
While at the practicum site, I was able to gain experience in various ways, whether it be through experiments or research symposiums. Each week consisted of weekly lab meetings, experiments analyzing data through Excel, and animal studies. Through our weekly lab meetings, I was able to gain a further understanding of the logistics of each project as these details were discussed in depth. I was additionally able to ask questions that began fruitful and substantive discussions and allowed me to build relationships with the mentors in the lab. The principal experiments that I and the other interns ran were western blots and PCRs. We did this after collecting kidney samples from mice and grinding up the tissue. These experiments were conducted to gain a better understanding of protein and gene expression in the kidneys with the treatment. To quantify this data, we did so in Excel.
From week to week, we also had special events that we would attend. For instance, in July, Georgetown University had their annual aging symposium which brought together Georgetown researchers from multiple disciplines, including psychology, neurology, and economics, to discuss the social and health impacts of aging and how to alleviate such impacts. Furthermore, we had guest speakers from other universities, such as Duke University and Baylor College, come to speak to us about their career paths. These events enabled us to hear about varied perspectives from individuals who have pursued career paths I and the other interns hope to pursue as well.
I was given an abundance of opportunities to understand the science we did in the lab. For instance, each week, the interns were assigned to review the lab’s ongoing manuscripts and grants. The senior members of the lab told us that we were expected to question the manuscripts and grants because it was preferred to have us catch an error rather than the reviewers. This experience enabled me to finally apply the biochemistry and biology I learned in high school and college in a real world setting.
Furthermore, after conducting experiments, such as western blotting and PCR, independently, I was able to gain insight into the molecular aspects behind different experiments. For instance, I revisited the central dogma of biology to learn about how DNA is transcribed to RNA and then translated into proteins. This was done to fully comprehend the experiments I was performing.
From working in this lab, I thoroughly gained an appreciation for the research done. A potential promising treatment for chronic kidney diseases can come out from the work I helped build. This enables me to have a sense of purpose and gives me increased appreciation for research. Therefore, I hope to continue finding research opportunities to positively affect society.