Hi Tomás, thank you so much for sharing your research progress and your long term goals! Being part of a bigger project sounds so exciting, and it is great to hear you're providing a helpful groundwork for classification and analysis of bioethics research funding and publications across many countries. The combination of humanitarian and analytical work is quite engaging and meaningful. I hope you continue to help with the Future of Bioethics after Laidlaw too!

Hi Evalina, I enjoyed reading about your understanding of leadership and collaboration. It's not always great to dominate the conversation. Leaving the stage for others is a way to exemplify leadership. Additionally, always rely on the community and staying humble are key features of a good leader.

Hi Phoebe, I really enjoyed reading your field journal! The Siegelbaum lab sounds very cool with all the advanced scientific equipments and cutting edge research. I also like your reflection about having the mice go through the least amount of stress and pain. It is great to see a loving heart in the great research you're doing!

I really loved reading this, Matthew! Your point about having more uninterrupted time in the lab really resonated with me — there is something so different about being able to fully enter the rhythm of research rather than constantly switching between classes, assignments, and lab work. I also thought your reflection on research as storytelling was beautifully put. Even in a highly technical or computational project, the broader meaning of the work matters so much, especially when it connects to something as important as RNA therapeutics and precision medicine.

The data-preparation challenge also sounds very real, but I’m excited to see how your project develops once that foundation is in place. And the Hudson River walk sounds like the perfect way to decompress after a day in the lab!

What are you most excited about as you start your Laidlaw research summer?

I’m most excited about experiencing what research actually feels like beyond the classroom. My project connects mathematical optimization with food rescue, and I’m excited by the idea that tools like routing models and algorithms can help address a very real human problem: getting food to people who need it more efficiently.

How does the interdisciplinary nature of this program help you think about your project and/or academic interests more broadly?

Hearing about projects across different disciplines has reminded me that research is not only about technical skill, but also about asking better questions. Although my project is rooted in math and optimization, it also involves social impact, logistics, nonprofit work, and community needs. This has helped me see that I’m interested in work that combines abstract quantitative thinking with real-world problems.

Do you anticipate any challenges in getting started? If so, what are they?

One challenge is figuring out where to begin, since vehicle routing is a large field with a long research history. I also anticipate the challenge of balancing theory and application: I want the project to be mathematically meaningful, but also practical for food rescue organizations. I’m excited to learn how to work through that uncertainty as part of becoming a better researcher.