My Alpha-Lipoic Acid TRIP by Saanvi Devabhakthuni

Hello, my name is Saanvi, and I just completed Summer TRIP 2025! The program was overall extremely intriguing and sparked my interest in the research side of medicine. I enjoyed how each day we were introduced to a new assay and explored different aspects of a fly’s biology. The structure of each day beginning with a lecture, then a hands-on experiment, ending with a career talk provided a good balance to each day. My assays studied the effect of alpha-lipoic acid and high sugar on fruit fly’s fertility, anxiety, and activity. Personally, my favorite assay was the fertility assay because I enjoyed how it had multiple parts and allowed us to use different lab tools like the CO2 gun and microscopes. I also enjoyed the independence of conducting each assay. I found that I was well prepared for the assays, and when I did have questions, I had great mentors to help answer my questions. Another great aspect of the program was the daily career talks, which exposed me to a variety of job opportunities as well as the inner workings of a hospital. My favorite career talk was Dr. Mgbojikwe’s, who introduced me to a completely new career path of being a hospitalist. I enjoyed how she discussed the value of a work life balance, something I feel is rarely mentioned in similar presentations. My favorite part of the program was conducting the experiments because of how hands on and independent the work was. I feel like I learn best from making mistakes and adjusting my strategy, which is why the nature of this program was so intriguing to me. Participating in this program made my interest in science grow stronger as it exposed me to a new environment. Additionally, being able to be on the Fox Chase campus helped me envision what kind of career interests me in the future. The work I did here helped me build skills that I will need in my future to collaborate, synthesize data, and conduct experiments. Most of all, the highlight of this program was working with such great peers and mentors. All of the mentors and career speakers were extremely open and helpful, making me feel extremely comfortable to ask questions and learn more. Overall, the program was a great experience, and I came out of it with many new skills and mentors

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