As a Brackenridge fellow this summer, I hope to learn from the strategies of other researchers to guide and strengthen my own research. Hearing from other students about the topics and challenges they are researching helps put the research I am working towards in a wider context, and also provides me with the opportunity to get feedback on the way my research is received by people outside my field.

There are several other students conducting research projects in biology, psychology, and neuroscience, and many students are choosing to focus on the analysis of diseases,with one student also focusing on the study of Alzheimer’s disease, similar to my project, though using different methodologies and approaching it from a different perspective. One student project that I found interesting was Jake Shapira’s research on the influence of bacteria on the tumor microbiome, studying melanoma in particular. Melanoma is a growing problem in the United States, and the most common cause of skin cancer related deaths. Approaching treatment for this disease by investigating the effect of bacteria on the growth of tumors is a unique and interesting way to tackle this problem. Some of the methods used in his project include in-vivo mouse models, in vitro biochemical assays, and multi-color flow cytometry. Multicolor flow cytometry is a unique technique to label and identify specific cells within large populations, and does so very rapidly. In my research, I focus on labeling cells within larger samples of brain tissue, although this process takes several days, and it is therefore interesting to see how other methods may provide more timely results in cell labeling. 

Working with people in other disciplines is important because it provides an opportunity to interact with others to bring more power and relevance to the work I am doing. It provides critical practice in the skill of research presentation, an essential part of a future career in research. In the process of applying for grants, committees may be composed of people from varying backgrounds. Therefore, it is critical that I be able to explain myself clearly and in an accessible manner and so that readers can make it to the end of my grant application without losing interest. However, different methods and priorities within research can also introduce barriers to cooperation in tackling joint problems. Each person may want to focus on the issue at hand from the viewpoint used in their research, because they have more experience with it. In doing so, members may shut out other ideas and be less willing to try what they would believe are less practical solutions to the issue. Despite these challenges, it is clear to me that the Brackenridge community will provide valuable learning opportunities that will help me become a better and more well-rounded researcher.