My internship reinforced my previous idea of pursuing bioengineering in college. I did a lot of the biology and science work in my internship that I will use for my major. My internship allowed me to gain invaluable experience doing research and working in a lab on real-world issues. I now know I want to do research in college with faculty and peers, but I know working in an academic lab will be a different experience than a professional one. I acquired skills and knowledge in my internship that can be applied to various science fields and biology in particular.
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My project was very interesting because we categorized the EAE model in mice and observed their progress. They required a lot of intensive care, and towards the end of my internship we had to check on them multiple times a day. Once we inputted the results into GraphPad, we saw their progression and how closely it followed the model, which meant we were doing something right. Unfortunately, I could not stay all the way until the end of my project so I will not be there when they are going to sac the mice, but I am assuming their progress will follow the same trend. (Below are my POL slides)
- My work was meaningful to the world outside of my internship because the research we do here at Ionis can be used to help people around the world. Specifically, the work I have been doing with Multiple Sclerosis can be used to create a drug to treat people with MS.
- My project was already set before I even started internship, so there was not a lot of room for ideas or inspiration. It did, however, go from my expectations to the final product that I worked on and learned about. I saw the progress of the model throughout my time at internship, and how the mice' condition develop. - The work ethic of a lot of the people I worked with, especially my mentor Joseph, was inspiring. They all had a drive to do the research and work continually to get the project done. The pace at which they worked was very fast because they were passionate about the work they were doing. - This internship has not changed too much of what my life could look like after high school. My plan is still the same, I want to go to a four year university after high school to get my undergraduate degree. As for a career, I still want to pursue engineering in college but work some science in as well. The meeting was held on Thursday, January 16 at 7:00 pm.
1. a. Angeline Santa Romana b. Nonprofit Solutions in Kearny Mesa c. Provide workshops and consulting to nonprofits in the San Diego region to help their companies thrive. Nonprofit is still a business, but is tax exempt since the money goes back into the business d. Creating a curriculum to best help the non profit sector of the San Diego Region e. She loves being able to help nonprofits and supporting them, which struck me because most people wouldn't enjoy it but she does. She likes getting to connect with other people and talking to them about why they chose to manage a nonprofit, since it is not a very lucrative business. 2. a. Jeremy Ong b. E-Rehab in Carlsbad c. Provide business management, websites, and marketing tools to physical therapy clinics all over the world. d. He is working on search engine optimization, including setting up customers' Google Reviews. e. One thing that strikes me is how repetitive his task is. He says he does the same thing all day, which gets boring for him. Another thing that strikes me is the relationships he has with his coworkers. Since he is there with another intern, they are close with one another and he doesn't form strong bonds with other employees in the company. - For my internship project, I will be categorizing a common multiple sclerosis model in mice, and analyzing the data we collect in a statistics program called GraphPad Prsim. We are going to observe the mice every day to watch their condition and how it progresses. On top of my main project, I will also be helping Joseph with various side projects he is working on in the lab.
- The skills I am going to need is dedication, hard work, and the ability to adapt to new situations. Dedication and hard work are skills that are crucial to being successful in almost any task. Since my project is going to require a lot of time, I need to be dedicated to it and be constantly working hard. There are a lot of new information, tools, and processes that I am working with, so I need to be able to adapt to any situation. Being a quick learner who is motivated to continually learn new technologies will be critical to my success in this project. - I am going to need support from my mentor, Joseph, since he is extremely knowledgeable in this field. If he could be patient with my and help me in areas that I am not yet comfortable in, it would help my progress in the project. Part 1: Mentor Interview
What is your job title? - Senior Scientist in Antisense Drug Discovery What are your main duties and responsibilities? - I am in charge of contributing to the discovery and development of novel ASO therapeutics for a variety of rare and severe diseases. Why did you choose to work here? - I learned about the great work that Ionis was doing in graduate school and the innovative therapeutics they were developing. I met several scientists from Ionis at various conferences and networked with them and they all found Ionis to be a fantastic place to work and contribute to scientific discovery. Based on these interactions, I decided to apply for an Ionis Postdoctoral fellowship where I was able to receive more scientific mentorship and training under Ionis scientists. What skills and training are necessary for your position? - Much of what a scientist does is staying up to date on science and constantly collaborating with others to further scientific discovery. Being able to read and dissect scientific literature AND be critical of it helps push our own work forward. It is also important to have good communication skills. We often have to share our data with others so being able to effectively communicate difficult concepts is a great skillset to have. Much of the technical training is hands-on as it involves many different skillsets and assays used to be able to answer questions and contribute to discovery. How did you acquire these skills? Through school? On the job? - I acquired most of my technical skills throughout my academic training while I was getting my PhD at UC Irvine. However, being a scientist means always having to be dynamic and constantly learning. I am always learning something new everyday. Being on the forefront of scientific discovery means always having to adapt and interpret new data, techniques, and science. What do you enjoy most about your job? - I enjoy working with people that are truly excited to be doing what they do. We get the joy and honor of seeing the benefits of our work everyday through the patients we help with our medicine and science. Also, no one day at work is the same which makes coming in every day exciting. Do you consider a career in this area satisfying? In what ways? - Yes, while there are many different paths and places to pursue in science, working at a corporate pharmaceutical company allows one to work in an intense environment where you get to see the benefits of your work in the patients you help. Is there anything you wish you realized about the world of work when you were my age? - I can’t stress enough the importance of getting involved in research early on (to any extent: cleaning glassware, shadowing scientists, etc.). Reach out to professors when you start undergrad. And find ways to get involved. It’s also important to have a life outside of work. I was a premed student myself and during undergrad I remember working in 2 labs, 3 hospitals, studying for MCATs, part-time job, 18 units, etc… Taking a step back to do something that isn’t related to your career-growth (no matter how big or small) can serve as a great outlet and also makes you unique versus the many other people on the same career trajectory as you. Part 2: Reflection - A lot of the skills we learned in school have translated to this internship. As a scientist, you work a lot in groups so having good collaboration and communication skills are very important. The science we are doing is a lot different from biology or chemistry class, though. - I have learned that Ionis' mission is to help patients by creating drugs to better their lives. A lot of the work they do is in research, because they are constantly looking for ways to help different groups of people. - My experience this year has been a lot different than last year. I am the only intern at the company this year, whereas last year I was with three other students. The work is completely different, since last year I sat at a computer all day and this year I am working in a lab and running around the whole time. It has been really exciting doing this kind of work and knowing that is going to helping other people. |
Author12th grade student at High Tech High North County interning at Ionis Pharmaceuticals, a biotech company doing RNA-targeted therapeutics Archives
February 2020
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