Reflecting on my CURF Experience: The Journey to Becoming a Researcher

Thinking back on my experiences with CURF, it is undeniable that I have significantly improved my skills as a researcher. Throughout my time in the Brodsky lab, my research has pushed me to learn several new protocols and techniques. Among these, I was given the opportunity to learn various new computational, molecular, and biochemical lab…

Reflecting on my Experiences in the Brodsky Lab

From the very beginning, my experience with the Brodsky lab has been a uniquely personal one. During the second semester of my freshman year, Dr. Brodsky presented a general overview of his research to my foundations of Biology II class as a guest speaker. While explaining his research involving diseases arising from abnormal protein degradation,…

Growing as a Researcher: Reflecting on my Experience with CURF

Reflecting on my experiences with CURF over the past semester, it is evident that I have grown immensely as a researcher. Among many other things, I have learned the importance of patience, flexibility, and persistence while approaching the numerous challenges that often accompany scientific research. In terms of my particular research project, I was given…

The Process is the Prize: Becoming a Researcher During a Global Pandemic

From the start, my initial connection to the Brodsky lab was a uniquely personal one. During my first year at Pitt, Dr. Brodsky presented the general concept of his research to my foundations of Biology II class as a guest speaker. While explaining his research involving diseases arising from abnormal protein degradation, he specifically mentioned…

An Introduction: Investigating Disease-Causing Mutations in ROMK

Hi everyone! My name is Erin McChesney and I’m a current junior pursing a major in Biological sciences with a double minor in Chemistry and Administration of Justice. This fall semester, I will be given the opportunity to study various human disease-causing mutations of the renal outer medullary potassium (ROMK) channel protein, which is located…