Halfway There

A reflection of the first half of the Laidlaw research period
Halfway There
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Almost a fortnight since my last blog post and just over halfway through the research period, I feel it’s time for another bit of reflection. For starters the fact that only a fortnight has passed since I was still settling into life in the lab is mind boggling, seeing as I have now completed the lab work for my preliminary study and am waiting – as I write this – to begin work on my next set of tissue samples. This sample set is 10 times the size of the last, so while I’m looking forward to gaining some more meaningful and representative data, I can’t completely ignore the slight apprehension at the impending weight of being entrusted with something so precious. Afterall, tumour tissue doesn’t grow on trees, despite its apparent insistence on growing everywhere else.

 

This three-week milestone also marks the halfway point of my time living in a flat with four of my fellow Laidlaw scholars. Three of them being medics and one a biologist (who is not strictly in our flat but is an honorary member), we have gelled very well together and have found ourselves a lovely rhythm of dinner followed by an evening catch up over tea, not to mention a growing list of excellent weekend brunches, (thus far) including pancakes and French toast #foodisjoy (@LeenShanwar you’re obsession with hashtags must be rubbing off on me…). Our time together has already become a key part of my Laidlaw experience and one I know I’m going to miss once the next three weeks (only three weeks left!?!?) are over – I would love to hear what other scholars have got up to together during the research period!

 

[Figure 1: Yes it was as good as it looks. Picture: courtesy of Leen Shanwar, 22.06.2025, Powell Hall, St Andrews]

Since finishing the last section of lab work, I’ve been undertaking the analytical part of my preliminary study. This involves sorting through the digital images of the slides we scanned in the lab and fusing them, segregating them, classifying them and analysing them. In short, the goal is to teach the AI platform to recognise different cell types, in order to later find correlations between the arrangement of different cells within the tumour and the stage of cancer the patient had when the sample was taken. It’s fair to say it has taken me several attempts to get this right, especially since the sample size used for the preliminary study is so small, meaning that every mistake makes a big impact on my final results. It’s also reminded me how much practice genuinely helps not just your practical ability but also your understanding of the topic and of the equipment you’re using. It’s cheesy I know, but it bears reiterating since I’m hopefully not the only one who has found themselves leaving the lab or the library feeling grumpy on several occasions when they haven’t done it right first time, only to be somehow surprised again by how much easier the same job seems the next morning.

 

Before the research period started, I was so preoccupied with planning ethical clearances, designing protocols and doing background reading that I forgot to think about how wonderful it was going to be to leave the experience with new skills stored for the future. More than anything, I have yet again been reminded how great it is to be given the time to enjoy your subject. I hope this is one of many more similar opportunities.

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Go to the profile of Leen Shanwar
25 days ago

#IabsolutelyLOVEthispost

Go to the profile of Bethan Pearson
25 days ago

Looks like you girls are running off of Nutella - nothing like fuelling the brightest Laidlaw scholar minds with the finest foods 

Go to the profile of Alexandra Ermolenko
24 days ago

What amazing content! You are totally right, even though progress is sometimes invisible in the moment, it is there and from an outside perspective it looks like you are doing a fantastic job. 

P.S. I wonder who made those delicious french toasts??

(This author reports ABSOLUTELY NO bias)