Name: Elizabeth Zegarowicz
Class Year: 2024
Major: Neuroscience
Minor: Biology and Growth and Structure of Cities
Hometown: East Windsor, NJ
Internship Organization: Drexel University
Job Title: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Location: Philadelphia, PA
What's happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!
This summer I am working in a mouse lab focused on brain development and the relationship between astrocytes and neurons. Within the lab I am working on a side project examining changes in the amount of genes in synapses in wild-type and Sonic hedgehog signaling pathway in knockout mice. Sonic hedgehog is a signaling pathway that is important in regulating the growth and differentiation of a variety of cell types throughout the body. My work on this project started with looking at the changes in enrichment in 504 genes and using data analysis, I found 32 genes of interest that had the highest change in Sonic hedgehog knockout mice in comparison to wild-type mice. Then, I combed through the available scientific literature to learn more about the functions of these genes and settled on three genes to continue to examine within the lab’s brain samples. These genes had the greatest and most significant changes that also had established relevance in synapses. For the rest of the summer, I will be conducting further experiments, such as immunohistochemistry and qPCR, to see if there is differential gene expression of the three genes of interest occurring in wild-type and Sonic hedgehog signaling pathway knockout mice.
Why did you apply for this internship?
I knew I wanted to learn more about the laboratory research process and be involved in original research before beginning my thesis in the fall. My thesis advisor is currently on sabbatical. I realized that not being able to work on thesis related research provided me with the perfect opportunity to gain new skills, reframe my thinking as a neuroscience student, and give me clarity on what I want to research for my thesis.
Was there anything special about how you found this internship?
The way I found my internship is special because I had to find it and design it. I began reaching out to the principal investigators of a variety of labs in Philadelphia and set up meetings with them to learn more about their prior research, their current directions, and to ask if they were willing to take me on in their lab for the summer. I reached out to approximately 15 labs. My outreach led to many exciting meetings where I learned about different avenues of neuroscience research, some of which I was not fully aware were possible. Hearing several different perspectives on science was quite enthralling and I wanted to learn more and be a part of exciting research. Even though I could not work in all their labs for the summer, it was quite exciting to think about all of the different research paths that exist.
Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you?
Some of the skills I am learning include using laboratory equipment and scientific communication. I have gotten the opportunity to use new technology in the lab including qPCR machines and I have gained other skills such as mounting tissue and staining tissue. I also am in constant contact with the other lab members and the principal investigator of the lab and present my current findings during lab meetings, all of which has helped strengthen my ability to communicate scientific concepts and data concisely. The many skills I gained inside of the lab will assist me in my future as a scientist, but I have also gained practical skills outside of the lab that will continue to benefit me for the rest of my adult life. I have begun to master commuting and navigating and working in a city which has been very tough. Being able to create a new schedule proved to be challenging, but through trial and error I have created a schedule that allows me to do all of my essential tasks such as going grocery shopping, work related reading, and laundry, while also being able to pursue leisure activities such as seeing friends after work or going on walks around campus.
Visit the Summer Internship Stories page to read more about student internship experiences.