September 1, 2020

In August, the Napadow Lab enthusiastically participated in an internship program organized by Women in Science (WiS) at the Martinos Center. High school students in this program attended organized sessions as a group where they learned about everything from applying to college to financial planning. In addition, they were paired with research labs to attend meetings, meet and interview lab members, and work on small research projects. We hosted two students, welcoming them into general lab meetings as well as specific project meetings where they were able to see real discussions about research, experimental design, and analyses. They also worked with lab members on small projects to get hands on experience with data visualization and analysis. One student even helped create visualizations of our lab’s major research areas by analyzing key words found in our published research articles! It was a pleasure working with the students, and we will continue to grow our involvement spreading the reach of opportunities and experience in STEM fields. 

Below is a reflection on the experience from one of our students:

“Thank you so much for these past amazing four weeks! I am grateful for having various opportunities to learn more about myself and being able to listen to inspiring stories from a diverse group of people. Though only four weeks, I will take into account everything I learned into the far future. I’d like to give special thanks to Dr. Napadow’s lab for showing me such a great community of hardworking individuals, Dr. Guzman-Velez for her supportive mentorship, and Paulita and Dr. Varadarjan for their commitment on helping all the students. I wish the best for the Martinos Center and this internship!”