Having worked in the lab since fall semester last year, which can oftentimes be a rather isolating environment, I am most excited to be able to share my findings and work through hurdles with this fantastic cohort. Even though our time together has only just begun, I can already feel the genuine kindness, dedication, and innovation of these students. Hearing about each and every scholar discuss their research with passion and vigor has not only given me a burst of motivation in completing my own project, but also gives me hope and inspiration about where our research will take us beyond this first summer.
Even within my pre-medical focused mentor group, I could instantly tell how varied our interests and research pathways were. In awe, I listened to my peers talk about their vastly different research methods, from interviews and field research to mouse experiments and meta analysis techniques. Beyond my own discipline, I find the humanities research to be incredibly compelling and interesting. While I study the unseen intricacies of microorganisms in the human body, others are studying entire communities and countries -- both are important and necessary for change and advancement. Mostly, I find so much value in the interdisciplinary nature of Laidlaw in that it expands my viewpoint to uncharted territory and allows all of us to become a step closer to bringing innovative changes to science, medicine, politics, literature, and more.
After attending the introductory course on Zotero and the extensive Columbia Library resources, I feel more equipped but also slightly daunted by the impending literature review I am preparing to write. It truly seems as though the comprehensive list of published papers is endless, not to mention cross-analysis and cross-referencing of papers. However, if I have learned anything from Laidlaw already, it is that the support system is unendingly helpful, and I am thrilled to be able to talk through these difficulties with my mentor, peers, and librarian.
*Featuring: A not-so-candid candid of some new friends enjoying Mama's Too pizza in Riverside Park (they highly recommend trying)!
Hello! My name is Lauren Suh and I am a rising sophomore at Columbia University from San Diego, California. I am majoring in Neuroscience and Behavior on the pre-medical track and plan to minor in Music (I play the flute!).
This summer, I will be working at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center under the supervision of Dr. Yousin Suh. My research project delves into ovarian aging, a critical marker of systemic body aging as one of the first organs to exhibit signs of aging. I will be researching whether DNA Helicase B, or HELB, delays or impacts ovarian aging.
I love yoga, running, thrifting, and baking! I am hoping to learn pottery this summer, so please reach out if you would like to join!
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Hi Lauren! I heavily relate to the the intimidating first step of starting a lit review. Honestly, the most overwhelming part is always gathering the sources and figuring out how to use them. But I have no doubt you’ll rise to the occasion and write something great. If you haven’t already, I really recommend meeting with the librarians as they’re super, super helpful. Good luck on the rest of the paper!
(p.s. we definitely have to go back to Mama's Too!)
Hi Lauren! I totally agree with you about how incredible the interdisciplinary nature of our cohort is! I was similarly impressed by the vastly different ways our mentor group is conducting research, and found your research project to be very interesting! Looking forward to hear how your research is developing and the specific techniques you are using in the lab!