Flying into another TRIP by Simran Kamal-Bahl

Hi! My name is Simran Kamal-Bahl, and I am a sophomore at Germantown Academy. 

​Last year, I was part of the Summer TRIP program. During the program, I learned a lot about the fruit fly as a model organism and developed basic lab skills, including taking measurements, preparing solutions, and conducting assays. This experience gave me a glimpse into the world of lab-based research. Now, I am excited to take part in the TRIP’26@WTHS, where I will have the opportunity to design and run my own experiment from start to finish. I am particularly interested in studying how lifestyle factors, such as diet, affect behavior and health in fruit flies. Overall, through TRIP, I would like to gain more lab experience, conduct meaningful research that interests me, work with amazing mentors, and meet like-minded peers.

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So here’s a little bit more about me… I am a hardworking and academically driven student with a growth mindset. However, I also have a wide range of interests beyond academics. In school, I have been playing the flute for the past seven years. I also play on my school's tennis team, always bringing my best energy on and off the courts. I am also an elected senator in our Student Government Association. In this position, I work to improve student life and the school's infrastructure. I have been participating in my school’s independent science research program since middle school. Through my research, I aim to study and address real-world issues that I see people around me facing. I have presented this work at the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS) and the Delaware Valley Science Fairs. 

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Outside of school, I love to dance and have been practicing Kathak, an Indian classical dance form, for almost ten years. I enjoy traveling and going to the beach. I have visited many places, from Europe to Central America to Asia. One of my favorite trips was to the island of Tenerife, off the coast of Spain. Another big interest of mine is cooking and baking. In particular, I am passionate about nutrition and creating delicious, healthy recipes. Overall, I am a very social and positive person, and I always have a smile on my face. However, making other people smile gives me the most joy. Whether it’s making my friends and family laugh or helping those in need, this is one of the things I do best. 

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On Day 1 of Winter TRIP, it was exciting to be back in the lab environment, especially after participating in Summer TRIP last year. After introductions, we spent time practicing basic lab skills such as solution calculations and using micropipettes. This served as a great refresher and was a fun activity to work on alongside my peers. We also prepared fly food vials for our kickoff experiment. My kickoff experiment focuses on studying the effects of a high-sugar diet (stressor) and fenugreek (drug) on female fertility in fruit flies. Finally, I was surprised to learn that we each received a vial containing fruit flies to take home and observe over the week! 
After a great Day 1 of TRIP, I look forward to continuing to learn, collaborate, and laugh with my mentors and peers throughout Winter TRIP!