Student Spotlight: Sabia

Student Spotlight: Sabia

Meet Sabia, who is a 17 year old senior high student at the Bronx High School of Science interested in pursuing a career as a family physician.

I was first interested in STEM during elementary school, where I enjoyed participating in my school’s science fair. I loved being creative with what I wanted to test and presenting my findings to my class. In middle school, I began competing in district science fairs and even placed! While the feeling of placing was great, I realized I didn’t want to pursue science solely for the sake of competitions. 

In 8th grade, I took Living Environment and became fascinated by the different systems within the body and how they worked together. I loved engaging in labs, and it was during this time that I knew I wanted to focus on STEM.

Yet, I didn’t always know I wanted to pursue research. 

Besides competing in science fairs, I didn’t fully understand how STEM functioned in the real world or in laboratory settings. My perspective changed when I took a Science Research class in my freshman year of high school. Through the class, I was able to learn how research actually works in a lab. For my final project, I investigated the effect of moisture on the preferred environment of Armadillidium Vulgare. Looking back, the paper I wrote wasn't perfect, but it was a testament to trying to learn more and sharing my findings with others! Since then, I knew research was something I wanted to pursue.

The next step in expanding my interest in STEM was to find a mentor, but this process didn’t come without setbacks. During my sophomore year, most of the professors I emailed for research opportunities didn’t respond. If they did, they informed me they weren’t able to take me in as a student. Eventually, I shifted my focus towards looking for programs. While searching for programs, I saw a program called the BEYOND ALBERT Program at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine pop up, and saw I was eligible to apply. So, I took my chances for this competitive program, and since then, I have been conducting research there.

Advice for Students Interested in Research

Firstly, don’t worry about where you are at in finding research opportunities. It takes a while and will require a lot of patience to get your first offer. I emailed 30 professors, and received 5 responses in which professors informed me that they weren’t able to take me in. I emailed professors for 5 months until I received my first research opportunity. 

Secondly, ask your upperclassmen or faculty for help. Your upperclassmen definitely have been in your position before, so they can help you through the process! Everything will work out, stay positive and consistent! 

Approaching a Lab or Mentor Professionally

When approaching a lab or mentor, researching what the lab focuses on is extremely important. Students should look at articles written by lab members and look through the lab website. It’s okay to not fully grasp what the lab studies, however having interest in their field is important! Students should email the Principal Investigator as they are the one to decide if they can take a student in. Students should state their interest in the lab’s studies, and talk about how they would like to engage in the lab’s research to learn more about that field!

I was also fortunate to have strong support through the Bronx Science 3-year Biology Research program. Teachers such as Ms. Chomet and Dr. Mahmoud were extremely helpful in explaining concepts, guiding me through research papers, and helping me find opportunities. I am incredibly grateful for the support and guidance they provided.

I definitely plan to continue research in college. My research experience in high school has been incredibly rewarding, and I have learned about laboratory techniques, interpreting data, communicating results, and more. After working in the McDaid Lab at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, I plan to research in the pharmacology field. In the lab, I enjoyed learning about the process of selecting proteins as senolytic targets to reduce cancer recurrence and progression, while ensuring the targets would be safe for cancer patients. I am excited for what the future holds for me!

Looking back, I would describe my research experience as Informative, Rewarding, and Collaborative.

The above post is written in first person and reflects Sabia's experiences in research.