Using bibliographies as a sort of guide for relevant research is a great tactic, one that I need to start using more during literature reviews. It’s interesting that your project shifted in scope and timeline while remaining focused on the same core idea, and I’m sure that brings a new level of understanding of the topic at hand.

My biggest challenge over the past couple of weeks has been coming to terms with how slow and (sometimes painfully) tedious biological research can be. Since I am starting a new protocol for the lab, me and my lab partners have done countless trials that we have had to scrap in pursuit of a consistent protocol. In fact, I would go so far as to say my project centered more on the development of protocol than collection of the data that the protocol will (eventually) garner. While I initially felt this was pretty bleak, I’m beginning to see that this is also an important part of the research process that is to be expected.

I think my most helpful resource have been the discussions me and partners have had with my PI. Over the course of our project, one of us will often come to a question that leads us to him. We will then talk through how this may impact our research. I have loved working with my partners, as they have questions that I myself would never have thought of that improves our science.

I think you make an excellent point about how your work can hold the United States accountable for the role they had in Haiti’s loss of autonomy. I would hope that research like this can prevent incidents like this from happening again, but I fear that may be too naive! Regardless, it is important that the public be made aware of issues like this, as it is truly the only way for to improve the US’s treatment of foreign nations.

• While all Laidlaw Scholars will be presenting their research at the Columbia Undergraduate Research Symposium in the fall, what are the more immediate expectations that you have for your research? Are you writing a paper? Will your research be part of a larger scientific study? Do you hope to produce an annotated bibliography that you reflect on down the line? Is your research now the first phase of a project you’ll continue to work on throughout the year, and/or next summer? Now that we are nearing the one month mark of the program, please write about your expectations for your research.

My current work is generating data that contributes to an ongoing research study exploring a new method of diagnosing preeclampsia. In the much longer term, I hope that this will be actually be implemented to diagnose the disorder, especially in the low income countries that suffer from a disproportionate number of deaths due to a lack of diagnosis. 

• Why does your research matter? Explain the significance of the question you are investigating, and why you are interested in it.

Sadly, women’s health is too often ignored in medical research as a whole, despite being relevant to 50% of the population. I myself have experienced the effects of this first-hand, and the stakes are all the higher with a potentially lethal condition like preeclampsia. I am proud that my research primarily helps a group of people—women in low income countries—that are oft-neglected in medical research, and it is a promising pathway to tangibly help these women.

Approaching a sensitive topic like this mindfully is of course important, but it also seems like something that requires quite a bit of thought. I admire the effort that you're putting into ensuring that your research remains accurate and ethical.

• What are some of the ethical issues that you are grappling with in your research? What are some of the ways in which you are responding to these questions?

Given that my project deals mostly with (ethically sourced) urine samples and chemicals, I think the biggest ethical issue that I deal with on a daily basis in in the collection of data. As we run the same test on many samples, we routinely encounter outliers that do not fit our expected results. It is then up to us as researchers to decide whether those outliers are a result of human error or a measurement that truly limits our findings. While it is easy to chalk it up to human error, it can create potentially disastrous outcomes in the long run. As such, my research group has taken care to run adequate further testing on any outliers that arise to ensure that we feel fully confident in the data that we collect.

• As you continue your research, have you considered alternative viewpoints in your investigation? If so, how have these alternative viewpoints enriched or changed your project?

In a "basic science" project, it is hard to consider alternative viewpoints. In fact, ideally, a researcher would probably not have a viewpoint at all and allow the data to speak for itself. However, I have often heard experienced scientists refer to their projects as stories as they piece together the parts that create a full narrative of whatever they investigate. Much like writers with a literary narrative, it can be for scientists to "kill their babies," or discard pieces that they have spent time and energy fitting into the story. Yet over the course of the past couple weeks. I have come to realize that that is a necessary part of truly objective science; it is the only way to ensure that the story being presented comes from an objective viewpoint, rather than the scientist's own. 

I too look forward to learn from fellow scholars; looking at the diversity of projects, I am eager to learn more about fields I have never been exposed to. I also appreciate your use of the word "kind" to describe a leader as it made me reflect on the way in which utilizing the full spectrum of leadership styles is ideally the kindest approach, both to those around you and yourself. I'm so excited to hear more about your research on the city that I have been regrettably behind in exploring!

How have the workshops and discussions on leadership this week changed your understanding of what leadership means?

Over the course of the workshops, I have developed a more comprehensive understanding of what leadership must entail. While the traditional leader is one facet of leadership, it is not the only one, and it must work together with other models for effective leadership in any given situation. Beyond expanding my understanding, the discussions offered new, tangible frameworks that I will use as a leader in my daily life, whether that be utilizing a different communication style or setting aside unhelpful feedback.

How might you imagine applying one of the four ways of leading during your summer on campus?

When hearing about the four facets of leadership, I quickly recognized my work in my lab requiring a "leader beside" mindset. I am working on a project in collaboration with four other undergraduates, all of whom have a similar level of experience. Thus, we must work together to conduct the project most effectively, without any distinct leader taking charge. This is a mode of leadership that I have never consciously implemented, so I am excited to experience this new level of partnership.

What is everyone most excited about engaging in part of their summer research project?

I am excited to develop a better sense of the day-to-day operations of a wet lab environment.