Advice from UGSP Scholars on Gaining Experience and Funding

Over the past few years, we have had the exciting experience of attending several conferences. We have benefited tremendously from the various opportunities to meet and network with people from many disciplines, universities, and other institutions. We have also had the honor of representing the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Summer Program and the NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program (UGSP), leading us to interact with many other students with similar interests. In this regard, one recurring theme or concern that we have noticed is the “how-to” of getting that often-elusive first research experience. Though we have no guaranteed method of success in this pursuit, we can offer the experiences that we have had and any knowledge gained while we were undergraduates with career goals in research.

FRANK: I remember my first opportunity came during my sophomore year. A professor mentioned that he had some volunteer positions available in his lab for students. At the time, I was not considering research as a career, but I did want some extracurricular activity. I have to admit that those first opportunities are not necessarily very exciting. I started just helping, cleaning, and organizing at an Avian Cognition Laboratory that conducted research on pigeons. You can imagine me chasing some pigeons around the lab whenever they felt like flying! However, everyone starts from there, and I eventually completed a small project. Those first experiences offer you the opportunity to learn some research terminology, create a more personal relationship with a professor, and get a sense of what research is about. You will probably learn a couple of techniques and might even start working on a project, but the most important aspect of this first experience is that it begins to open doors for you. You will have a letter of recommendation and someone that can write and talk about how efficient and creative you are as a researcher. Even more importantly, you start a mentor-student relationship.

However, you need to be very perseverant during this process, and I cannot reiterate that enough. Literally, call, email, and knock on professors’ doors. Do not be discouraged by rejections. I remember not being accepted by a summer program to which I applied. That situation made me realize that I still needed some more experience in order to convince programs of my commitment to biomedical research, and so I did. I asked a professor right after class if I could work with her during the summer--just like that. I told her about my interests and future goals, and so I ultimately conducted research for a summer at the Massachusetts General Hospital designing a paradigm that, if validated in pilot studies, will be used to study Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder using neuroimaging techniques.

After that experience, I applied and was fortunate to receive the Undergraduate Scholarship Program (UGSP) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). With that scholarship, I was able to come to the NIH for two summers: first, studying neural stem cells in Dr. Ron McKay’s lab, and, this past summer, in Dr. Eugene Major’s neurovirology lab. Both of these NINDS labs are among the leaders in their respective fields.

I recently graduated with a bachelor’s in biology-psychology from Tufts University, and I am currently working in the same laboratory as Bruce, also sponsored by the UGSP. I feel very fortunate to be a part of this lab, primarily because it cares about its students. That is one of the main things to look for. You want your research experiences to be as pleasant as possible. Therefore, talk to the professors before deciding, and try to get a sense of his/her interest in mentor-student relationships. Remember, these first experiences are critical in developing that relationship, so try to find a person or group willing to develop such a mentoring relationship. Every investigator you will encounter will tell you about his/her mentor, so you can imagine that it is a critical aspect of an investigator’s development.

Therefore, in order to get that first experience you need to talk to professors, probably outside your own school, and be perseverant. If you really want to become a biomedical investigator, you will. There are many professors out there waiting for students to assume an active role in their labs; approach them. Do not be discouraged by rejections. On many occasions, professors might not have space or time for a student, or a program might feel that you are not committed enough. Go back and talk to some other people, get some more experience, and apply again. Approaching researchers as well as presenting yourself as an enthusiastic and talented student are valuable tools in an investigator’s career, so go ahead and take the first step.

BRUCE: My high school’s senior curriculum required me to conduct some form of a research project. Though I could have done mundane experiments comparing the pH’s of nearby bodies of water as many students did, I wanted to do something more challenging and exciting. However, all of my free time was to be taken up by varsity soccer. After much reflection upon what would better serve my future career, I made the difficult decision to walk off the soccer field and into the science coordinator’s office to inquire about internships. I found the names of scientific investigators at nearby universities and at the National Institutes of Health who had previously mentored students. I found others on my own by visiting the NIH. I did not do this through a formal student research program; I simply approached these people with my short C.V. and told them that I had the ganas (strong motivation) to work and learn. It must have been this ganas that caused me to be selected over college students. (It could also have been that I agreed to work for free. Any future reward often requires an initial sacrifice.) I volunteered in the lab for fifteen hours per week for eight months. By then, my foot was in the research world’s door, and I was equipped with the experience to compete for better positions.

By the end of my internship in the spring of my high school senior year, the financial realities of attending college soon set in. Yet I knew that research would lead to further opportunities. I attempted to meet both of these needs simultaneously by applying to a paid student research program at the NIH: the Summer Program in the Neurological Sciences, directed by Mr. Levon Parker. I soon learned not to apply to anything late because I was promptly rejected. Yet armed with ganas and, now, a bit of a research background, I went directly to Mr. Parker’s office and reemphasized my desire to be in a lab. Apparently noticing my motivation, Mr. Parker picked up the phone and after a few minutes, I was in a well-known lab that won the Nobel Prize in 1976. Guided by a caring mentor, I continued to work hard, analyzing a diagnostic test for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. I even won the Exceptional Summer Student Award from the very program that initially rejected me. I mention this to emphasize that even if a door closes, be persistent. If it ultimately reopens because of your efforts, do your best with this new opportunity. Be wise as well: if the door remains closed, do not waste valuable time; look for a new way or place to put your potential into practice.

Now with ganas and experience in two research labs, I was accepted into the UGSP, then directed by Mr. Marc Horowitz and now by Dr. Alfred Johnson. This program eased the financial burden of attending Georgetown University, and allowed me to explore clinically based research at the National Institute of Mental Health during the summer after my freshman year. I had the challenging opportunity of designing a reliable new method of assessing children with obsessive-compulsive and tic disorders. The UGSP also introduced me to the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in the Sciences (SACNAS). I ultimately attended every conference from 1997 to 2000. SACNAS opened my eyes to a world of opportunities beyond my hometown and even beyond NIH. I learned about various research programs throughout the U.S. and made valuable contacts at various academic institutions. Meeting fellow students who also had ganas further motivated me. Most importantly, I realized that my sacrifices, motivation, and knowledge gained from good and bad decisions led me to this crossroads of opportunities.

After my clinical research experience, I wanted to return to the bench the next summer. I also realized that I had to stop lab-hopping or else I would not accomplish anything substantive. I searched myself for my main research interest, leading me to choose the Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Neuroscience in the NINDS, headed by Dr. Eugene Major. I dove into my work here, even working part-time during the following school year. Committing myself to this lab, I was able to publish my first paper. This was not easy because I could not neglect my first priority—my studies—that would be just as important as lab experience for medical/graduate school. I have now been studying the molecular regulation of JC virus full-time for two years since graduating from college with a double major in biology and government. Currently applying to medical school, I feel that my research background helps me to be competitive in this process. How did I obtain this research background? Through ganas that was manifested in the form of sacrifice, hard work, and a persistent desire to advance my career with every pursuit.

Our only reason for writing about our deeds is to show students what they can do. In fact, having learned from our experiences, we hope that they achieve much greater accomplishments. In our many interactions with Native American, African American and fellow Latinos, we have noticed that such a student is often his or her own worst enemy. Many students do not dare set ambitious goals nor have expansive visions, thus closing doors on themselves. They assume that they have no chance at being accepted to program X or university Y and, therefore, do not bother applying. Actually, the only time there is a 100% rejection rate is when you do not apply. Why reject yourself? As in our experiences, let others reject you; and when they do, try again! Ganas, learning from your and others’ mistakes, pursuing opportunities with professors, perseverance, and strategic sacrifices can take you a long way. Just as you will not be accepted if you do not apply, you will not succeed if you do not try. Success is a goal, not a gift; it is earned, not awarded. We wish you the best. Make us proud, students!

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