Tiffany Harris: No Typical Day BACK

Published by AFAR

Today I am starting my fourth week of my MSTAR experience. This puts me at about the half-way mark of my 8 week stint. Thus far I have enjoyed my time and really appreciate this opportunity. Prior to this summer, I had no research exposure or experience. I decided to apply for the MSTAR program because I would be able to be exposed to the research aspect of medicine while further exploring my interests in aging.

At my home campus, I was able to find a physician/researcher who was doing work in two areas I am interested in: aging and neuroscience. We are examining the possible role of inflammatory molecules in the natural aging process that occurs in the brain. Preliminary data is very exciting!

There really is no typical day for me. Depending on what part of the experiment we are running, I arrive at the lab at varying times during the day. Each night last week, I stayed until about 8pm. Even though some days are long, the time flies by quickly. My mentor and his assistant show me all sorts of lab techniques, machines, and gizmos, so I keep plenty busy. Due to my lack of experience, the first week or so was spent being introduced to the lab and some basic techniques. The other couple weeks I was able to trek on my own a little. In addition to my project, I have been shown a couple of the other major projects being done in the lab. I find these very fascinating, and they really open my eyes to what this side of medicine is all about.

The next couple weeks I will be analyzing my samples for the expression of those targeted inflammatory genes. If all goes well, I will then have a couple weeks to sort through and analyze the data we retrieve. So far, I have had a great experience and have learned much. I never thought I would willingly learn more information the summer after my first year of school! I am very grateful for this opportunity and I hope to continue learning throughout the next 4 weeks.

Tiffany Harris
University of Nebraska Medical University

"Diary of an MSTAR Student" follows scholars in the 2011 Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) Program, highlighting their summer experiences. As they continue their path of research, training and clinical practice, read their daily thoughts at www.afar.org/mstarblog. New diary entries are posted every day, so check back soon.