"Starting Fresh in Research: A Handbook for Lab's Fresh Faces"
In the world of science, opportunities for young researchers can be hard to come by. However, a high school student's experience as a research assistant in a Neuroscience lab focusing on Parkinson's Disease has shown that research is indeed within reach, even for students at Princeton.
The journey began when the individual took Advanced Placement Psychology and discovered a passion for research through Dr. Volpicelli-Daley's presentation about Parkinson's Disease research. This passion was further ignited during the summer between junior and senior years of high school, when the student worked as a research assistant with the Volpicelli-Daley research team at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The experience was repeated during a gap year.
Working in such a lab environment helped the student appreciate the complexity of neurological diseases like Parkinson's and the rigorous experimental methods used to study them. The student learned technical skills such as experimental design, data collection, and analysis, and even contributed to ongoing investigations that required attention to detail and adaptability.
One of the key takeaways from this experience was the importance of gaining hands-on laboratory skills, understanding the value of mentorship, developing critical thinking and scientific reasoning, and learning the necessity of persistence and collaboration in research. The student also learned the importance of knowing when to ask for help, organizing collaborative experiments, and quickly picking up skills in a field with a large amount of information.
Summer research programs and internships emphasize immersive, focused engagement, fostering creativity and collaboration, while encouraging students to exceed their own expectations and contribute meaningfully to science projects. These programs stress that beyond technical skills, personal growth and realizing the nature of scientific inquiry are key takeaways. Furthermore, it is important to be independent in designing and completing research tasks while using available support effectively.
The project that played a significant role in the student's transformation into a researcher did not involve human or animal subjects. Towards the end of the experience, the student embarked on a project researching proteins of interest indicated by a mass spectrometry experiment. Despite being the youngest member of the lab, the student committed to learning various methods and teaching themselves new techniques.
For students at Princeton, learning research is within reach. The Office of Undergraduate Research at Princeton is a resource for perusing research programs. If you find a professor whose research looks interesting, emailing them could lead to research opportunities at Princeton.
In conclusion, young researchers learn that real-world scientific research is iterative, collaborative, and requires dedication, patience, and strong mentorship—lessons that are invaluable for their academic and professional growth in neuroscience or any scientific discipline. The student's experience serves as a testament to this, proving that with passion, determination, and the right opportunities, anyone can become a researcher, even without a lab coat.
- The high school student's experiences in neuroscience research, particularly during the summer between junior and senior years, showcased that undergraduate research in science is not only possible but also a valuable form of education-and-self-development for students.
- For any Princeton student with an interest in research, especially science, the Office of Undergraduate Research provides opportunities to pursue projects, thereby making junior paper opportunities in research accessible.
