Major: Sociology

Award: Woodrow Wilson Fellowship

I did clinical research in the Hematology department at Johns Hopkins and worked on a retrospective research study with the Rheumatology Department at Johns Hopkins. I will be the primary author on the paper that we are publishing about the disease Scleromyxedema and the effectiveness of lenalidomide as treatment. Scleromyxedema is a disease where papules erupt on the skin, but it also has neurological, rheumatological, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and respiratory complications. I have also done some social science research with the Department of Racism, Immigration, and Citizenship.

My hypothesis was that Newborn Screening procedures for Sickle Cell trait would vary significantly across the United States. During the semester I would say that I committed 5-10 hours a week to my research unless there was a deadline that required me to spend more time on my project. During the summer, the commitment was significantly more. 

Challenges and Gains

As an undergraduate researcher, I think the most challenging part of research is dealing with all the things you don’t know. It is hard to do the literature review, to plan a research design, to figure out what data you need, to analyze the data, and to write a paper when if sometime feels like everything you are seeing is completely new to you because your undergraduate coursework doesn’t expose you to the things you are researching. 

My journey doing undergraduate research has awakened in me a passion for the field of hematology and it has given me a community of doctors, research coordinators, and professors that I know I can look to for guidance long after I graduate. 

Post-graduation Plans

My plan is to do a master’s program in Social Epidemiology at the University of College London for one year then come back to the states, potentially do paid research for one year then go to medical school.