I, Rotaton

Since January, I've been rotating in Raghu Kalluri's lab. It's been a very busy three months and I felt that I got a lot done and have learned a lot of new techniques. For one, I know how to work with mice now.

Overall, I love that lab. The people are fun and very helpful. It's a big lab, with about 20 people and I have honestly asked every single person for help with something at one time of another.

The thing that drew me to Raghu's lab was his enthusiasm. Even I have to admit, science can be boring, but Raghu is a great salesman. He pitches his science so well that you would believe in it. He's already convinced 5 people in my year (including me) to try his lab out, and already has new rotation students from the incoming class next year lined up. His enthusiasm for science is an important consideration because I know that I often lose sight of the promises ahead when bogged by failures. I also find comfort in his spastic mind. To be able to integrate so many different fields (cancer biology, stem cell, kidney and liver fibrosis) takes a certain ingenuity. I definitely find myself lacking in those areas and hope that I can develop these qualities while I am still a graduate student.

Also, doing translational research is a goal of mine. However, I hate reading most papers on diseases because they rarely tell a neat little story. This is generally not a fault of the researchers, but a fault of the complex nature of diseases. Generally, I find basic research more satisfying because more often than not, it answers how and why. Yet, I recognize the drawback of just doing basic research. It sucks to have to constantly justify the "relevance" of your work. This is why I hope to use take a basic research approach towards clinical problems. Raghu's lab is more clinically focused. His approach to clinical problems isin line with how I would like to work.

While this is a pro, it is simultaneously a drawback. I am afraid that after being in the lab for a while, I start becoming laxer in my standards to basic research. Yes, even I think meticulous papers are boring to read, but I appreciate them for their rigor. I hate handwaving and in disease models, there's A LOT of that. I don't want to lose that constant drive to know.

In considering his lab for a thesis lab, I think there is great potential. My project, as it is conceived right now, is clinically oriented (cancer or kidney disease). The topic will be geared towards understanding a particular mechanism in disease biology and will aim to address issues about the general biology, instead of small details. In other words, if all things go well, I would like to contribute to a paradigm. The projects itself are exciting...

I started my new rotation today with Jeannie Lee at MGH.

In fall semester, I began second guessing my commitment to translational research because I am not too excited over it and I miss thinking about basic research. I decided that I will do my third rotation in a lab less concerned with disease, but more focused on a generally interesting phenomenon. Plus, I miss RNA. I originally had wanted to work on microRNAs, but that didn't work out. So I looked elsewhere.

Luckily, I meet with Jeannie and found her research to be completely fascinating. Jeannie studies dosage compensation in mammals. Females have two X chromosomes, but males have one. There is a problem in dosage of these chromosomes. For example, having two copies of a tumor gene, one in each X chromosome can potentially wreak havoc. Alternatively, if a gene in the X chromosome is very important, having only 1 copy of it may be very bad for males. This problem is resolved in mammals by essentially shutting down one X chromosome in females, so both sexes have one working X chromosome essentially. The way this is regulated will probably not of interest to those of you who read this, so I'll skip over the boring stuff. In short, the Lee lab is one of the pioneers in this field and the mechanism of how this happens is super awesome.

Jeannie's papers are SUPER meticulous. Yes, it is a pain to read, but by the end of the paper, it's so well argued that it's hard not to buy the model. I love that! That sort of scientific rigor is what I strive for.

Today was my first day in the Lee lab and people have been very nice already. I'll be looking at some really interesting things. However, I must admit that I was a bit surprised at the topic that was chosen. I can't talk about it because it's confidential info, but I definitely did NOT expect studying this. Nonetheless, the project so contained that it won't blossom into a thesis project. I also look forward to working at MGH. It's closer to home and the walk back home will be very scenic! Now that it's coupled to sailing, oh the possibilities are endless!

Anyhow I can't wait to see how this pans out. As I was winding down in Raghu's lab, I started to feel very attached to it. Things were going well and I woudl have been happy just to stick around. But part of me wanted to try something else, just to make sure. As I was winding down, I thought that I may be very bias in the new rotation. Today's meeting with Jeannie has reinvigorated me to think differently. It's like like "Kalluri Lab who?" but more that I feel more open now to give the Lee lab its fair chance.

I know that I will end up picking either Raghu or Jeannie's lab. If all things were equal and if it fell strictly on the science, it will be a tough choice because the labs are so different, and they appeal to different sides of what I want to become. Oh this is exciting!