Are you a fan of soda? Or many of the sweet treats that are consumed on the daily, such as M&Ms, Jolly Ranchers, and Skittles? Well, with my obsession with these sugar-inducing consumables, I consider myself a firm believer in the phrase, sugar brings happiness. But, is it just sugar in these delights that causes energy-boosts? Red 40, or scientifically known as Allura Red AC, is a synthetic food dye that we consume on a regular basis. Thrown in with a multitude of other ingredients, the true effect of Red 40 is lost to those wider-known properties, such as sugar. With these compelling thoughts in mind, my curiosity with Red 40 has made its presence known in my independent research question for this internship, which focuses on the effects of Red 40 on fruit flies, and whether or not it can cause anxiety. Licorice, with its anxiety-relieving properties, is another aspect of my research question, and will hopefully quench my curiosity for why the aftermath of sugar rushes isn’t so enjoyable. Overall, with exciting new nicknames and a wide variety of lab materials at my exposure, I’m excited to see what I’m capable of when going off on my own and conducting my own experiment, with the help and support of my fellow TRIP participants, and my instructors. II cannot wait to see the direction that my individual experiment takes me, and the exciting stories that my next few weeks being a part of TRIP will bring!
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Alongside my love for science and research, I also enjoy making art. Currently, I am taking Art II and hopefully can take more art classes in the future. In my art classes, I have been able to work with different materials and have been able to experiment with new ideas and techniques (which could be why I love science so much too!). Some of my favorite things to work with have been colored pencils, sketching pencils, and chalk pastels (which is what I made the landscape painting with)! I really love making portraits and landscapes of things that are important to me. So far I’ve drawn/painted a few of my friends and some of my family’s favorite locations. I find it really special to be able to give people something that I worked so hard on and to be able to show them how much I care about them! My first day at the lab was extremely fun and interesting! We were able to prepare the fly food and use micropipettes. It was a wonderful introduction to the TRIP program. I was so excited to be around so many new people and have my first experience in a lab! I am so excited to see what my future in this program entails and I am so grateful for this opportunity! Hopefully, this is the start of my long journey in the field of science!
Hey! My name is Ismaeel Qureshi, and I am a junior at Unionville High School in Kennett Square, PA. I got involved with TRIP because it allows me to channel my never-ending curiosity into something productive. I have always been interested in the “why” behind the way things work, so I am excited to get an opportunity to conduct research that can help me reach conclusions about why things happen the way they do. Also, I want to pursue a career in STEM, so I figured that getting experience doing research in a lab could help me develop skills that are integral to my future success. Finally, my favorite subject in school is biology, so an opportunity to further my biological knowledge with such an amazing community was one that I could not refuse. I have always been interested in the "why" behind the way things work...so an opportunity to further my biological knowledge with such an amazing community was one that I could not refuse. Here’s a little bit about me: I am of Pakistani heritage, and I enjoy keeping in contact with my cultural roots by eating Pakistani food and listening to Pakistani music. I am actually a dual citizen of the United States and Pakistan, which means that I have passports for both countries. Recently, I traveled to Pakistan to attend some weddings, and I had a lot of fun. I also love playing and listening to music. I play the alto saxophone school’s marching and symphonic bands, and I recently joined my school’s choir to explore my newfound interest in singing (except I’m not very good). As for listening to music, I mainly enjoy listening to R&B and rap, but if I think it sounds good, I’ll listen to it. Another activity I enjoy doing is Quiz Bowl. I am currently a member of my school’s Varsity Academic Team, which competes against other high schools in Chester County in quiz bowl matches that test our knowledge of everything from South African playwrights to American geography. One of my favorite hobbies is doing crossword puzzles and logic games; I love how they stretch my brain and challenge me.
I’m also very passionate about promoting inclusivity in healthcare, and this led me to help cofound the EmpowerCycle Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to the accessibility of essential menstrual products and augmenting public involvement in combating the taboo around period poverty. I’ve also been able to explore my interest in medicine through shadowing physicians over the years, and I hope to specialize in dermatology or anesthesiology in the future. I’m also very passionate about promoting inclusivity in healthcare...I aspire to become a physician-scientist one day. I wanted to join TRIP after spending my last summer at the Abramson Research Center of CHOP, which sparked my interest in the process of conducting an independent research project. Through TRIP, I hope to develop my laboratory and presentation skills as I gain confidence in my work over the course of the program. Yesterday, I got the chance to meet an amazing group of peers passionate about science, and I’m looking forward to continuing the rest of this TRIP Journey together.
As children, we, including myself, are ignorant of the life outside of the walls that don’t include our loved ones, technology, and toys. When I first learned about cancer and the destruction that is left in its path, it drew me in. At the time, it was a complete mystery, and it still is. There are so many different kinds, and so many places where cancerous cells and tumors can appear in the body, and no way to stop it with a simple dose of medicine. Taking this into consideration, opened my eyes to a completely different kind of research: the unknown. This revelation became one of my newest and greatest obsessions. Learning about cancer, and the uncertainty that comes with each part of its discovery and further research has impacted my brain and given me a sense of determination to delve into its secrets, and influenced my choices, and my future career. Outside of the science world, I am a profound lover of music. Whether stemming from 80s British rock bands like The Smiths, or to commonly known artists such as Taylor Swift, music fuels me into completing every assigned task, or writing a new story. My time spent, alongside listening to my multiple-hour playlists, would be spent with books, a pen, the tapping of keys, and frequent taps of the enter button. I cannot say that reading and writing is a hobby because, to me, it isn’t. They are tools that have helped build the person I am today, and without their guidance as an outlet, I would be lost. Personally, I find it fascinating that with only twenty-six letters in the English alphabet, so much can be created and shared. It is why I am obsessed with everything about them. Why talk, when you can write your emotions clearly and be understood completely? Is there any better way to get emotions off your chest than through writing? I couldn’t answer these questions, and it's why I’ve become so dependent on expressing myself through words on paper, and my abilities as a writer.
In school, I am part of the track and field team. The thing I love about track is the nonlinear and often fluctuating pattern of growth, giving the sport a level of depth and requiring powerful dedication to improve. However, last spring, due to a recurring injury in my hips, I played volleyball for a season to give my hips time to heal. I am also a leader at the Christian Fellowship Club at my school. As for Honors Societies, I am in NEHS and Rho Kappa. In NEHS, I am a leader of a team project that is working on running a Reading Olympics Escape Room in elementary schools as a means of fostering literacy and nurturing curiosity among elementary school children. For Rho Kappa, I am pioneering another project that honors our nation’s veterans with a short film that includes interviews with veterans who attended my school and their families.
Alright, about today’s TRIP, it was SO fun and SO engaging. The icebreaker at the beginning was helpful for, well, breaking the ice, and it got pretty funny/embarrassing when I had to ask the same person like 5 times if a random fact on the icebreaker sheet was true or not. I’m glad I got to meet a wonderful community of like-minded peers who are passionate and curious about science and research. I’m also glad I met our kind and resourceful instructors Dr. Leystra, Dr. Purdy, Mr. Cozonne, and Anoosha. All of them were more than happy to help me whenever I had questions. As for what we learned today, we were taught how to make solutions with a micropipette, which I had never used before. We were also taught the math required to calculate the varying concentrations and amounts of solutions. I found this exercise to be interesting as it was new but built on a lot of the math I had already learned in Honors and AP Chemistry. In addition, the mix of theory and hands-on activity was readily apparent and made the experience so much more fun and so much more different than school. Lastly, we were taught to make food for the flies, which I thought was the most fun as it marked the start of the kickoff experiment. I chose to investigate the effect of soap-induced intestinal inflammation on fly motility and the possible protective effect of Vitamin D3. To set up the experiment, I made four vials of fly food (control, drug only, stressor only, and drug and stressor). This type of hands-on lab research also struck me as very different from the research I had done over the summer investigating antimicrobial resistance in pathogens found in American cattle, in which using complex mathematical models, namely principal component analysis, hierarchical clustering, dendrograms, etc., I analyzed NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) Pathogen Detection Isolates Browser (NPDIB) data to discover trends of resistance. Offering a view on a whole new facet of research, TRIP really hooked me. Sadly, this was the conclusion of our first day of TRIP. But on the bright side, I got to meet some cool people and experience new scientific techniques. I can just tell that this TRIP will be a fun, stimulating, and enriching experience.
Until next time. Hello! My name is Mirai (Mimi) Kambayashi, I am a junior at Conestoga High School. My favorite aspects of science are its investigative nature, as well as the fact that it is an expanding body of knowledge. I knew TRIP would be the perfect opportunity for me to learn how to contribute to the body of scientific knowledge that I so enjoy. I joined TRIP not only for its opportunities but also for the community that is provided there. Having the opportunity to work in a lab with fellow students seemed so exciting, and I was eager to get involved.
Today was the first day of TRIP. Before any of the fly stuff, we introduced ourselves and got to know the names of our peers. Even though it was the first time I stepped into the lab I learned a lot, like how to prepare fly food, calculate serial dilutions, and the fact that Dr. Purdy has “a weird obsession with BBC America’s Cop shows”. After learning so much on the first day, I am looking forward to the upcoming sessions.
I’m thrilled to be a part of the TRIP community after a wonderful first day in the lab. I anticipate a great semester!
Hi everyone, my name is Amritha Sakamuri and I am so excited to be a part of TRIP @ WTHS ‘24!! I am a current sophomore at Central Bucks South High School in Warrington, PA. I applied to TRIP because I wanted to further my knowledge in hypothesis-driven research and learn how to better explain the rationale behind my findings. I am hoping to pursue a career in the medical field, and through TRIP I am able to learn about several different career pathways in medicine and gain hands-on research experience. In school, I am involved in several clubs and activities. I am the president and co-founder of our school’s DECA chapter. Some of my specific tasks are to make sure we are up to date with all of our clearances and research how I can improve my chapter. I am a student representative in our student council, and I was the assistant editor-in-chief of our freshmen paper. Outside of school, I participate in a variety of activities including sports, music, and volunteering. I am a U.S. Figure Skating pre-silver medalist in moves in the field, and I have competed in synchronized skating events for 6 years! I am able to keep in touch with my culture through Carnatic singing. I am a Griffin College of London Level 1 Carnatic vocalist, and I am a youth leader for SEWA International, a nonprofit service organization. This past Saturday, we had our first in-lab TRIP session! From just one session I learned how to use a micropipette, calculate solutions and dilutions, make fly food, and learned how to adjust fly food to reflect certain dietary and environmental stressors. This past Saturday, we had our first in-lab TRIP session! From just one session I learned how to use a micropipette, calculate solutions and dilutions, make fly food, and learned how to adjust fly food to reflect certain dietary and environmental stressors. For my kickoff experiment, I am testing how Red Clover and high-sugar diets affect female fertility. In the following weeks, I will be testing how the fruit flies react to my four different vials of food (constant, drug only, stressor only, both stressor and drug). We were even able to take home a vial of about 25 fruit flies to observe daily. Best pet ever! I am so excited for what is to come in my TRIP with all of you and to be a part of the TRIP community! I am so excited for what is to come in my TRIP with all of you and to be a part of the TRIP community!
Within and out of the school, I participate in many activities that nurture my interests in STEM. I am the president and founder of our medical club named MedEx, where I get to share my passion with many other students! Through this club, I run our school’s HOSA chapter and help my members prepare for the upcoming competition at the state conference in March. With the support of my team and the school administration, we were successful in showcasing our school’s interest in medicine, which has resulted in the official incorporation of an Anatomy class in our school curriculum this year. I am also part of GVTutors, Science Olympiad, and Chem Olympiad. I volunteer my time at the UPenn Radnor Hospital Program, by shadowing activities in different medical departments, such as radiology and dermatology. I also enjoy working with friends and classmates in the gardening club, of which I am an officer. Our club grows plants such as sunflowers, peppers, and tulips in a garden allocated by the school. I feel that every moment I spend interacting with others develops me further as a human being. I enjoy meeting new people. I also like traveling to locations that reflect people’s dedication to what they love. One such trip was to the Bayern Munich stadium in Germany which was built as a home to one of the most successful “football” teams in the world. TRIP can teach us a unique skill that no traditional school can: how to run research. The hands-on experience at TRIP will not just improve my knowledge but also develop my skills in the process of scientific discovery. This program particularly stands out for me because it will give me the opportunity to explore research possibilities in pharmaceuticals. The first day in the lab went by too fast! Everyone here is so cool, and the instructors are so supportive! I am starting my research on the effect of Vitamin D3 and head trauma on fruit fly motility. My chemistry experience proved useful in calculating dilutions to get the proper concentration of Vitamin D3. Micropipetting made me feel like a professional, and I can’t wait to continue experiments next week!
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