Week 8: In the end

This week ended as fast as it began with research taking over my entire week. My goal this week was to wrap up my research project as well as to visit some additional locations before leaving New York City. While my stay in NYC has been filled with adventures, I really missed the relaxed, quiet life in Ithaca. I am looking forward to hearing crickets outside my window instead of car horns and ambulances and can't wait to get back into my own lab and continue my research thesis.

This week I ran my last sets of drug trials using FAK inhibitors and bladder cancer cell lines. I completed only a small quarter of the project and did not reach as far as I had hoped. I really wanted to be able to finish one combination experiment where I combine chemotherapeutic drugs and FAK inhibitors to determine their synergistic or antagonistic activity. However, being in lab for only 3 weeks has greatly reduced the number of experiments I could complete before the end of the project. I managed to complete a few things here and there but I certainly would have reached far ahead if I had started sooner than I already did. That being said, the time I spent in lab has been truly valuable and taught me some new things.

Outside of lab, I also revisited the OR and observed a few more surgeries. I also plan on visiting Queens and potentially Brooklyn before leaving for Ithaca. This summer immersion experience has left me with wonderful memories and experiences to cherish, as well as so many insights into the clinical world. In the end, I am certain that I will utilize the observations that I've made during the program towards my research thesis and future career.