Nearly two months ago, I concluded my fourth Ph.D. lab rotation. Rotations are important components of Ph.D. training. During each rotation, a new student spends eight to 12 weeks working in a lab, getting a sense of the science pursued there, the types of questions asked and the overall culture. After completing three or more […]
in the lab
Grad Grooves: The Soundtrack of Our Science
Posted by | A Day in the Life, Perspectives in ResearchBackground music is everywhere. It plays quietly in malls and grocery stores, and loudly at sports events. It is almost ever-present in the TV shows we watch. In addition to all of this, many graduate students listen to music all day in lab. Because we work so much, this means we could have music streaming […]
Is Cough Syrup an Antidepressant?
Posted by | Perspectives in ResearchEverything from shrooms and weed to molly and ketamine — once known mainly as party drugs — is finding a place in clinical trials for depression and other mental health conditions. Precisely how they work on the brain, however, strays wildly from prescription antidepressants. In doing so, these drugs are challenging traditional ideas of how […]
Every Ph.D. Journey Is Different, and That’s OK
Posted by | A Day in the LifeAs a second-year student in the pathobiology graduate program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, I joined a thesis lab this past August. During our first year, we do three research rotations in different labs to get more experience doing research at the graduate student level, in addition to getting a feel for […]
The Life and Times of a Principled Scientist
Posted by | Events and HappeningsIn a world that amounts to a maelstrom of stimuli and a cacophony of interacting processes, it is of great importance that one develops systems for recognizing specific types of scenarios and reacting appropriately to them. These systems, or principles, inform our future decision-making and spare us the tedium of having to deal with all […]
Tips on How to Choose the Right Laboratory
Posted by | A Day in the LifeFor a graduate student or postdoc, choosing the right laboratory can be a daunting prospect. There are many factors that one must consider, but deciding which to prioritize is often challenging. Individual learning styles, interests and career goals vary vastly, so an environment perfectly suited to one person may be one where another flounders. That […]
The Colorful World of Cancer Drug Discovery
Posted by | Perspectives in ResearchMelanoma cells stained with PTRF (in red), RPA194 (in green) and nucleus stained in blue. RPA194 is the main subunit of the RNA polymerase I (POL 1) enzyme. Our lab discovered a first-in-class small molecule that inhibits POL 1 enzyme and causes the destruction of RPA194 protein. Here, we are investigating how these proteins are […]
The Universal Lab Language
Posted by | A Day in the LifeOn the floor where I work in the preclinical teaching building at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, there are a variety of postdoctoral fellows, students, technicians and faculty from all over the world. We have postdoctoral fellows from China, Portugal and Israel, and graduate students from Germany, Canada and Taiwan. You can always […]
The Science of Snoring
Posted by | Perspectives in ResearchThere are few disciplines in science and medicine as broadly important, or as inherently relatable, as the study of sleep. During the annual Johns Hopkins Sleep and Circadian Research Day, a disparate group of clinicians, epidemiologists, geneticists and basic researchers gather to share posters and present new findings at the vanguard of sleep research on […]
Titan Titin: When Mutations in the Largest Known Protein Affect the Heart
Posted by | Events and Happenings“We know from our clinical experience in the practice of medicine that in diagnosis, prognosis and treatment, the individual and his background of heredity are just as important, if not more so, as the disease itself.” — Paul Dudley White (1886–1973), Chief Consultant, National Heart Institute For the second installment of the Heart, Lung and […]
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