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| Nastassja Lewinski |
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| A Brief History and Perspective of a Young Researcher |
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| Written by Nastassja Lewinski | |
| Thursday, 23 July 2009 | |
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Some days, as I stand at my lab bench measuring out chemicals or setting up an exposure experiment, I think to myself, “Who would have thought I would be pursuing my PhD?” Neither of my parents have a doctorate. In fact, I’m the first one to graduate from college on my father’s side of the family. And yet, somehow here I am, researching how nanoparticles interact with aquatic organisms. If you think about it, I couldn’t even dream about studying nanotechnology when I was little. It wasn’t until my tenth grade chemistry class that “nanotechnology” first entered my vocabulary. My chemistry teacher was always introducing our class to cutting-edge research areas, and she happened to show a NOVA special about Dr. Richard Smalley’s discovery of buckminsterfullerene, better known as “buckyballs.” Little did I know that years later I would be researching nanoparticles at the same school at which this discovery was made. While I can’t say research became my calling that day in high school, I can say that my chemistry teacher’s enthusiasm made research exciting.My first research opportunity came to me by chance. I met my research advisor while wandering around the engineering department at Rice the summer before I started my undergraduate studies. Lucky for me, she was recruiting students since she was a new assistant professor just starting her lab. That summer I became a member of her lab and am still a member seven years later. As I look back and wonder if it was a good choice to stay in the same lab, my answer is “yes.” I consider my experience as unique since I have followed the lab’s research -- particularly, the projects developing nanoparticles as imaging contrast agents -- from the ground up. This enabled me to participate in the many facets of research, from running preliminary simulation studies to wet lab experiments. More importantly, it also helped me in many ways to gain a realistic perspective of academic research. One of the frustrating aspects I am more than familiar with is the speed of the research process. It was hard to accept the fact that having big ideas isn’t enough as it doesn’t necessarily mean you can make them happen or they will even work. Although I entered my graduate studies with a strong engineering and analytical foundation, some problem-solving skills still need to be acquired with experience, often involving multiple failures. I can remember thinking after a failed experiment, “This is it? I quit!” At moments like this it helps to step away, calm down and remember why you initially decided on research as a career. It also helps to talk to your peers; you’ll find, more often than not, that you are not the only one suffering from failure. Keep up morale. Success can come from failure too and you learn a lot in the process. Another unfortunate truth is that bench research can be a very isolating endeavor. Depth rather than breadth of knowledge is the goal and sooner than you realize you become one of the few people that know anything related to what you work on. Depending on the number of people in your field, it can also become difficult to stake your ground as everyone is competing to find the next big breakthrough. This can also affect aspects of your research as simple as learning to conduct standard protocols. After struggling through optimizing protocol techniques not routinely used in my lab, I learned that some people do not freely share their tricks of the trade. Even research articles do not reveal the little nuances that are necessary to successfully conduct an assay. And, sadly enough, I can understand why people hide their fine-tuned skills. If they teach you, what's in it for them? My philosophy is to pay it forward; a few people graciously shared with me their protocols that took months to perfect and, therefore, I too share the protocols I slaved away at when time comes. Given the nature of the beast, research projects can take several if not many years to complete, and one must have persistence. I admire all research professors for their unflagging dedication to the pursuit of new knowledge. In addition, professors not only contribute through conducting cutting-edge research but also by advising and training the next generation of scientists. Many of my professors have played a significant role in developing my interest and shaping my perspective of science and engineering. My research advisor specifically has been a constant source of support and guidance. I am also very thankful for the support I receive from my lab mates and fellow graduate students. Peer mentoring is essential for growth and sometimes provides piece of mind, as it is easy to forget that you are not the lonely one experiencing the ups and downs of pioneering research. To my fellow young researchers out there who have those moments of lagging perseverance and motivation, my recommendation is to always keep in mind that you can do it and you alone define your own success.
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