Archive for category: Student Spotlight

Congratulations to Lauren Tan for receiving the Graduate Research Fellowships Program (GRFP) Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF)!

A former member of the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP), Lauren received the award for research titled: “Understanding the Growth Mechanisms of Mercury Chalcogenide Nanoplatelet-Quantum Dot Heterostructures”. Lauren plans to attend Caltech to pursue a PhD in Physical Chemistry.

Meet Jennifer Gonzalez; a 3rd year majoring in Neuroscience. It would be an understatement to say that Jennifer keeps herself busy while taking classes at UCLA. She was previously a member of the 2-year PEERS program offered by the URC-Sciences. During the summer, she also participated in the CARE SEM Summer Program, a 10-week opportunity for UCLA undergraduates to undertake research with a UCLA faculty and receive professional development through workshops and seminars, and the Richard Morgan Undergraduate Fellowship Program. Now as an upperclassmen, she is an active member of the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC)U*STAR Program and the Louis Stokes California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP). CAMP is an NSF-funded program shared across nine UC campuses whose goal is to enhance diversity in the STEM fields at the PhD and faculty level by providing financial and professional development support to students from groups underrepresented in these fields. Jennifer was kind enough to answer a few questions about her research experience and offer a few tips for those interested in beginning their research journey:

1. How did you first get involved in your research project?
I joined the Dong Lab as a rising senior in high school through USCs STAR Program. This process involved reaching out to different PIs, expressing my interest in volunteering at their lab, and interviewing with a series of lab members. I later trained as a histology assistant in the wet lab and met wonderful individuals, including the PI, post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, and lab technicians. My experience learning about the Mouse Cortico-Basal Ganglia-Thalamic Network project, which involved tracing inputs from the striatum into different parts of the basal ganglia, helped consolidate my interest in neuroscience. This inspired me to further immerse myself in research on neuroanatomy. I continued my research in the Dong Lab by contributing to the creation of a mouse spinal cord atlas that can be applied to understand spinal cord injuries.

2. How would you describe your research experience at UCLA?
Overall, my research experience at UCLA has been extremely enjoyable and enriching. My involvement in PEERS throughout my freshman and sophomore years increased my exposure to different summer programs offered on campus. Hoping to continue my research project in the Dong Lab over the summer, I participated in the CARE SEM Summer Program. This program allowed me to dedicate a substantial amount of time to my project and learn new techniques in the lab. I also gained valuable perspectives from current graduate students and med school students. Additionally, I learned about the physician-scientist track through this program, which inspired me to apply to the Richard Morgan Undergraduate Fellowship (RMUF). Over the course of RMUF, I learned more about the MD/PhD pathway and attended a series of networking socials with current students. This experience helped me learn more about where
medicine and research intersect. I continued my involvement in research through MARC and the Louis Stokes California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP) program, which have provided an abundance of resources that have collectively allowed me to develop my research skills, learn about scientific writing, and present at different research conferences.

3. What is one piece of advice you have for other students thinking about getting involved in research?
One piece of advice I would give other students thinking about becoming involved in research is to attend as many seminars and research talks as possible to learn more about on-going research at UCLA. Attending seminars and research talks can help you learn about different research techniques, projects, and labs on campus. This can also help narrow down your interests and labs that you would like to learn more about. Overall, this is a great way to network and meet new people in the research community.

4. Have you attended a conference before? If so, can you describe your experience on preparation, presenting, etc.?
Through the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) U*STAR Program, I had the opportunity of attending the 2022 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS). This was the first research conference I attended. I presented my progress on the “High-Resolution Mapping of Motor Neuron Groups in the Mouse Spinal Cord” project, which involves the creation of a continuous atlas of the mouse spinal cord. To prepare for my presentation, I created different versions of my poster and received constructive criticism to help produce an organized and concise presentation. This experience was extremely rewarding, because I learned about the different components of a poster and how to develop concise figures. Additionally, my experience at ABRCMS was extremely valuable as I met individuals from different backgrounds, learned about programs offered at various campuses, and attended research talks.

5. What are your future career goals?
After completing my undergraduate career, I plan to pursue an MD/PhD degree in neuroscience and conduct research related to epilepsy.

Meet Karen Garcia, a 3rd year Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology student. Karen was kind enough to give us a little insight on her research endeavors and experience as an undergrad. As a member of the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) Program, she recently attended the 2022 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) conference where she presented her work on “ToxiOmics: Using Chemogenomics to Understand the Impact of Environmental Chemical Exposures on Genes and Diseases”. Her work with Dr. Yang was so impressive that she was awarded the Presentation Award in Computational & Systems Biology. When she’s not working on her research, Karen keeps herself busy as a member of SACNAS at UCLA and a board member for Hermanas Unidas de UCLA.  Keep up the great work!

1. How did you first get involved in your research project?

During my first year, I participated in the programs PEERS and BISEP which taught me about the various ways I could get involved in research. I looked into different labs that aligned with my interests and was fortunate enough to join the lab of Dr. Xia Yang. Since then, I have been working on our ToxiOmics project where we have been developing a tool that can be used to understand how environmental toxicants are linked to human diseases at the molecular level.

2. How would you describe your research experience at UCLA?

My research experience has been incredibly rewarding. I have received excellent mentorship from both my graduate student mentor and PI and have gotten to work with people with whom I share similar goals. Being exposed to new challenges has also helped me gain skills I never would have imagined I could achieve. I am really glad to be a part of such a great lab where there is always an opportunity to learn and grow.

3. What is one piece of advice you have for other students thinking about getting involved in research?

Take advantage of every opportunity you can! Whether it’s participating in different programs that can help you get started in research or learning a new skill once you’re already in a lab, don’t be afraid to take a chance. Always keep an open mind, you never know where these opportunities will lead you.

4. Can you describe your experience on preparation and presenting for a conference?

I was fortunate enough to attend the ABRCMS conference this past November. Since it was my first conference, I was quite nervous but also very excited. When preparing my poster I looked at different resources to get an idea of the key things I should include and then I ran it by my mentor and PI to make sure I was on the right track. During the poster session, I treated my presentation to the judges as more of a conversation which helped me answer every question they had more comfortably and with enthusiasm.

5. What are your future career goals?

I plan on pursuing a career in translational research as I have always been fascinated by how science can be used to benefit human health.

Say hello to Abigail: a fourth-year Neuroscience major. As a member of the De Biase lab, Abigail studies Microglia: dynamic, macrophage-like cells within the CNS. They remove cellular debris and pathogens from surrounding tissue and exert powerful neuroprotective and/or neurotoxic effects during disease and injury. She also participates in the Louis Stokes California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP),  whose goal is to enhance diversity in STEM fields at the PhD and faculty level by providing financial and professional development support to students from groups underrepresented in these fields. Abigail was kind enough to answer a few questions regarding her research experience:

1.) How did you first get involved in your research project?

I was first involved in health disparities research my sophomore year. That experience made me realize I love the process of research, however I wanted to do something that enriched my passion and major, Neuroscience. Being placed in the wonderful MD/PHD Richard Morgan MSTP program, led me to be placed in Dr. De Biases lab. This is where I have been researching Microglial-Extracellular matrix interactions related to memory and neuronal function in aged mice!

2.) How would you describe your research experience at UCLA?

My research experience at UCLA has been extremely enriching and
insightful. Research has definitely shown me the need for scientists, there is a lot more we don’t know in science. Since joining I feel that I have developed strong critical thinking skills and a love for research. There is nothing quite like creating your own ideas and creating a plan on how to evaluate those ideas. Being with a group of like minded people has given me extreme confidence to pursue my goals:)

3.)What is one piece of advice you have for other students thinking about getting involved in research?

My one piece of advice is to remember your background before you compare yourself to other undergraduates in the lab. Some people might have had lab experience in high school while you may have had none. Just remember you can get on any level with hard work.

4.) What are your future career goals?

My future career goal is to get an MD/PHD in neuroscience!

You’re doing an awesome job, Abigail! Keep up the great work!

Meet UCLA senior, Frankie Villalobos, who is majoring in Physiological Sciences with a minor in Chican@ & Central American Studies. In addition to participating in the URC-Sciences Summer Program performing research with UCLA faculty, their first paper was published Fall 2021 in MPDI titled “Mitochondrial Heterogeneity in Metabolic Diseases” that discusses how mitochondrial heterogeneity is both beneficial and detrimental to the cellular system.

How did you first get involved in your research project?

I first got involved in my research project and my lab through my LS23L TA. He helped me get in touch with a graduate student in the Shirihai lab. Since then, I have had the best, and most privileged, experiences and have been able to join on multiple research projects.

How would you describe your research experience at UCLA?

Getting into research at UCLA is one of the more challenging things you can do. Especially if you are looking into either funded research or popular topics like cancer biology. However, there are plenty of resources that will help you get to your goal. As I previously mentioned, my LS 23L TA helped me get into research. Although the TAs are a wonderful way to get into research, there are plenty of other way into getting research. You just need to find out your best path into getting it.

What is one piece of advice you have for other students thinking about getting involved in research?

Just do it! You won’t know if it’s the right environment for you unless you try it out. Other things to consider are the work environment and your research topic. Also, remember to have fun!

What are your future career goals?

Currently, I’m not sure what my career goal is. I do know that I will be applying to grad school and, hopefully, getting my PhD in Physiology.