UT Shield

Texas REU: BME CUReS Cancer

2017

, Filed Under: 2017, austin, fun, learning

Wrapping Up Summer 2017

When I first arrived at UT Austin, I was overwhelmed. The university was so big. There were so many new techniques to learn. I had to integrate myself into a new group of people I had never known. I had never been away from home for an extended period of time. For someone still new to college and scientific research, it was overwhelming. After the first week, it was smoother sailing. I made new friends and went on exciting adventures in the city of Austin. Research was still a challenge throughout my summer experience, but challenges and difficulties are how people develop and grow. I was constantly problem solving and thinking of what I could do to improve my experiment. I learned a lot from my ten-week period here.

Summer scholars from various programs at UT in front of the main tower. Photo by Dalton Kotinilek.

I didn’t just learn new research skills, I learned new life skills.

I will carry this new knowledge and continue to build upon it as I continue my college career.

The research I did here was great and will help propel me forward, but the real fun came in exploring the city of Austin with great new people. This city has so much to offer. There was something interesting and exciting around every corner. Even in ten weeks there still wasn’t enough time to experience everything Austin has to offer. I think the experience was elevated more because of the new people around me. Everyone had something to bring to the table and they created a sense of belonging in this new community we joined. Overall the summer experience was a lot of work and a lot of fun. It was worth every second.

Andrew Rios, University of Texas at El Paso

, Filed Under: 2017, cancer, texas4000

Letter to 2017 Texas 4000 Riders

Gabby at her research poster on August 3, 2017. Photo by Jill Ortner.

Hello,

My name is Gabby. I wanted to start off this letter first by saying thank you for your support and your dedication toward fighting cancer. The Texas 4000 program is a big part of what makes research experiences like mine and my coworkers’ possible, and the number of lives you touch through your efforts is incredible. So, for that I’d like to say thank you.

Secondly, I wanted to say congratulations on making it this far. You’re almost there! Even though I’ve never been on a biking expedition like yours, I know that it’s easy to fall into the routine of things and not realize how much you’ve accomplished. So, I invite you to take a moment to look back on this summer’s experiences and reflect on what you’ve learned and achieved. (I learned how to culture macrophages in gels for experiments.)

I hope you are all doing well, and I wish you luck during these last few days to Anchorage. Thank you for all you do!

Sincerely,

Gabby Pérez-Lozano, Carnegie Mellon University

, Filed Under: 2017, cancer, reflections

Cancer Research Update

As the summer dwindles down, we can reflect on the progress that has been made throughout the summer. Not only have we developed lasting friendships, improved our scientific communication skills, and explored Austin, but we have conducted seven weeks of research! Working at the lab has brought out the best in us and has made us immerse ourselves, not only into research papers, but into lab life. On a daily basis, we have gone in and out of lab, each day learning a new concept, new ideas, and having many questions as we walked out. We may now proceed to the next step and present all that we have learned and what has yet to be discovered.

As for me, I’m just attempting to add a little contribution to the large pool of cancer research. Throughout this summer, I have worked in a medical device laboratory, attempting to develop a catheter for convection enhanced delivery to glioblastomas. So far, convection enhanced delivery is causing backflow of the infused therapeutics. In order to solve this problem, I have been trying to create a pressure driven system. So far, I have been able to narrow down a pressure range in which there is no backflow during infusions.  Thankfully, the results that I have been collecting prove that the volume distributed is still optimal while diminishing the amount of backflow shown. Now we can proceed to develop a system that can computationally keep a consistent pressure throughout an infusion.

The image displays the distribution patterns of the infusate and demonstrates no reflux. I took this image at the lab during one of my experiments.

-Bianca Montano, University of Texas at El Paso