It’s a sunny Friday afternoon on Emory University’s campus, and, according to juniors Jose Acevedo and Deston Lian, “it’s a perfect day to do some research!”. Both Jose and Deston are experienced undergraduate researchers, working in various fields on campus: Jose works in the Sanchez Lab, at the Emory National Primate Research Center, while Deston works in the Department of Chemistry, under Dr. Dennis Liotta. Both, however, share a common passion in producing, as Deston puts it, “meaningful findings that contribute positively to the world”. In asking Deston about his “why” behind research, he proclaims: “it allows me to feel a great satisfaction, knowing that I am pursuing my own passions, all while learning more about the subject that I love and producing results that could change the lives of others”.
In brainstorming the topic for this blog, I decided to settle on a topic that most undergraduates seem to disregard: the true enjoyment, reward, and fun that can come from research! In today’s undergraduate community, for many, research has become synonymous with a “check on a box”, a meaningful extracurricular that must be completed on the path to graduate school. In interviewing Deston and Jose, this statement was quite obviously refuted: as Jose states, “I initially pursued research to boost my medical school application. However, [going into lab] has now become one of the highlights of my week!”. In inquiring more about Jose’s statement, I have learned that he has formed a deep connection with his research subjects, the rhesus macaque species, stating that “each has their own unique personality, which I have learned and utilized to foster trusting relationships”.
In asking Deston what he enjoys most about his lab, he states that he “greatly appreciates the collaborative nature of his lab-mates”, noting that his “PI, postdoc, and other undergraduate students all [want] him to succeed”. He reports that “going to lab is like coming home after a busy day at work”, drawing similarities between his own family members and his lab-mates. Furthermore, Deston states that it is “important to find research in your own passions”, a message that I certainly resonate with. “It is only through pursuing your own interests, loves, and passions can you truly work towards creating meaningful change”, a statement that I wholeheartedly agree with.
In conclusion, I hope that this blog has encouraged you to view research from a different perspective! Research is so much more than hours spent in a lab, with no end in sight – research is an opportunity to create meaningful friendships, foster scientific inquiry, and create and produce meaningful results!
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