Calling all the curious! Calling all the team players!! Calling all those hungry for knowledge!!!

I’m here to talk to y'all about pursuing research at Harvard and what my research experience has been like thus far. 

When I was in high school, I didn't pursue research at all really. I came here nervous about the possible challenges I would face, trying to begin my research career. What if I couldn’t find a professor that would want to work with me? What if I wasn't good at it? 

I was relieved to find that there are so many world-renowned professors and faculty that are at the forefront of their respective fields! More importantly, they are so eager and excited to talk about their work and to get to know students. 

You’ll be surprised to know that Harvard has more research opportunities than undergraduates to fill them!

Starting your freshman year you can do all kinds of research from science to psychology to sociology and so much more. Harvard has a ton of money set aside for undergraduates to do research. Students can participate in term-time research, summer research, and even go abroad to another country or continent. 

This past summer, I was able to conduct biomedical research in gene therapy at the Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering. I applied to one of the many undergraduate research summer programs offered by Harvard either at the College or one of Harvard’s other schools: Medical School, Business School, Law School, School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, etc. The program I participated in was called the Research Undergraduate Experience through the School of Engineering & Applied Sciences. I spent ten weeks living on campus living my best life as a lab intern, paid nothing out of pocket, and yet was paid a great stipend. I worked on a really cool project that will hopefully revolutionize the field of gene therapy and drug delivery.

Here is virtual proof of my summer activities in case no one believes me: 

I honestly had the greatest time this past summer learning about new things in my lab and learning new things about myself. I strongly urge all of you to pursue research in whatever fields you’re interested in. It’s an amazing, eye-opening experience that I believe everyone can benefit from. 

To learn more about the research opportunities available at Harvard please visit http://uraf.harvard.edu/. If you have any further questions please feel free to reach out to me!