Stephanie

My name is Stephanie, and I am a pre-med student with a passion for translational medicine and clinical research. LRC brought me to OURS, which has played a critical role in my past internship applications. In particular, I am very thankful for Ms. Phillis’ help - from researching programs that align with my research interest to editing my resume and introducing me to alums with similar academic interests. With her continuous support in the past 2 years, I have been accepted to numerous summer research internships. This includes UMass Medical School, UCSF, UT Southwestern, Mayo Clinic, and Sanofi Genzyme.

I have been an NIH research fellow under Dr. Jason Kim at UMass Medical School. I was given the opportunity to follow up on an exciting project about the linkage of breast cancer tumors and insulin resistance. I designed molecular experiments, learned to handle mice models, and utilized techniques such as a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, tail vein micro-sampling, RT-qPCR, and Western blot. I discovered significant findings that help to guide the research team’s future direction, and findings were presented at several conferences. Ever since I have been in love with translational research!

I also interned at Sanofi Genzyme for clinical research on multiple sclerosis. Being in the pharmaceutical industry allowed me to interact with different professionals in the field of medicine and healthcare: from physician-scientists, pharmacists, and optometrists, to professionals in project management, clinical operation, and health economics outcomes. I assisted with designing a Phase I multi-national clinical trial, and drafting extended synopsis and patient consent forms. It brought me to the real world, where strategies on health regulatory authorities and patient recruitment are keys to successful clinical trials.

Overall, OURS has played a major role in my research career, opening my door to valuable research opportunities. I received personal support that was tailored to my specific career goal and research interest. Thank you, OURS!