June 24, 2019, Filed Under: 2019, cancer, reflections, researchResearch Ethics Reflection As we enter the fourth week of our summer program, many of us are starting to venture into our research projects in a markedly more independent manner than before. The training wheels are finally starting to come off! This transition marks an important point in our journey as budding cancer researchers, as it comes not only with the excitement of greater freedom, but the critical responsibility of upholding scientific integrity. This is a picture of three tumor spheroids under the microscope, composed of cells from the 4T1 breast cancer line, that I took last week. These spheroids are used to model the tumor microenvironment in-vivo. During the past week’s seminar, we as a group discussed different types of ethical violations in science. We also went over case studies that stood out for their blatant disregard of proper scientific conduct. The worst part was that the papers associated with these fraudulent studies were cited by thousands upon thousands of other researchers around the world. The resulting networks of knowledge all inevitably came crashing down when their feeble foundation was exposed, effectively resulting in the waste of all the time, effort, and money that went into their construction. Scientific progress is achieved through purposeful research, and research only has purpose if it is conducted ethically. This is what we have been taught so far in our time at UT Austin, and it is what we must remember as we continue to work on our projects. Cancer is a deadly disease that can only be overcome through the proper and consistent effort of researchers in the lab. To this end, we can best contribute to the fight by creating our models, collecting our data, and presenting our results with the utmost integrity. My friends and I at the BME CUReS Cancer REU have the next 7 weeks to make as much progress towards winning the War on Cancer as possible. By prioritizing ethical conduct, making it the hallmark of our work, I know that we will do great things! – Reetwan Bandyopadhyay, University of Pittsburgh
June 17, 2019, Filed Under: 2019, cancer, texas4000Letter to Texas4000 Rider: Ivanna Sofia English (Ozarks Route) Cards made on June 14 for Texas 4000 2019 riders by the BME Summer Scholars Dear Ivanna, My name is Joel Mudloff and I am currently a rising junior from the University of Texas at El Paso. I wanted to write this letter to let you know how truly inspiring your ride is. As I was going through the different riders’ profiles, yours caught my eye, primarily because of your relationship with school and Mrs. Knoll. First and foremost, I wanted to give my condolences for the loss of someone you admired. I too am a son of teachers and grew to have a close relationship with one of my own teachers, Mrs. Taylor. I also felt a close friendship with her as we had our inside jokes and would even go to Chipotle for each other’s birthdays and although she is still with me, I could not begin to imagine the pain I would feel if I were to lose her. After learning about the Texas4000 ride, I genuinely felt honored to get the opportunity to be researching cancer and furthering society’s understanding of such a terrible affliction. I also wanted to let you know that what you and all the other riders are doing is, for lack of a better word, inspiring to everyone who’s been directly or indirectly affected by cancer. Everyone has a part in this war against cancer whether it’s raising awareness to the general public or working in the lab to understand and find treatments. I am proud to be part of the same fight as you and all the other riders as we battle against cancer. I hope you have a safe ride and finish strong! Sincerely, Joel Mudloff, The University of Texas at El Paso Ivanna Sofia English is a 2019 Texas4000 rider currently on the Ozarks route from Austin, TX, to Anchorage, AK. Fighting cancer every mile.
June 13, 2019, Filed Under: 2019, cancer, researchA Summer of Cancer Research! We are finishing up Week 2 of our stay at UT and each of us are getting a little more acquainted with our research projects! When I come into lab, I feel like I am not just coming to edify myself, but I feel a sense of urgency. My friend’s dad, my friend’s aunt, my friend, Relay for Life, are just a few reasons why I am here this summer performing cancer research. In the Prologue of Emperor of all Maladies, Siddhartha Mukherjee states that “15 percent of all deaths worldwide will be attributed to cancer”. This is alarming and overwhelming. I have been in too many settings where the facilitator asks, “How many people in this room know someone that has been affected by cancer?” and everyone raises their hand. This summer is an opportunity to contribute to the trailblazing research occurring not just at UT Austin, but around the world. BME CUReS Cancer has widened my horizons of what cancer research really is. It isn’t just wet-lab research and interacting directly with cells, but it is also computational (my lab), imaging and much more. Each of us are learning and working on a different part of cancer research and it is really exciting!! Simon and Jubin after lunch ready to go back to lab!! Every day I come into lab, I know that I am contributing to important research that directly impacts millions of lives. Even just being here for almost two weeks has shown me how broad and complicated this topic is. Even with this large task at hand, I feel hopeful and optimistic because I know that my friends and I are all playing our part and doing our best to win in this “War on Cancer”. I am super excited for what the rest of this summer holds and the best part is that this adventure has just begun!! -Dara Okeremi, Rice University
