How was your experience with the program?
I really enjoyed my experience with the program. This was my first time participating in a research program, so I was not quite sure what to expect but I really had a lot of fun! I learned so much about myself as a person and a researcher thanks to my peers and mentors. I would really recommend this experience to anyone who wants to learn more about what it is like to do research and want to explore whether they want to continue this path.
What was the most exciting thing you learned?
I think that the most exciting thing that I learned during this program was learning how to apply the skills I used in my classes. For me, I was excited to build machine learning models for the project I was working on. I also liked learning about what other researchers do and the paths they took to get to where they are right now.
What was your research project about?
My project focused on sarcopenia research, a progressive muscle disorder where we lose muscle mass and function as we age. My mentor and I worked on creating interpretable machine learning models using features from body composition devices (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS)) to predict a person’s muscle function (e.g., jump power, handgrip strength).
How has this program and working with your professor/research team helped you develop as a scientist?
This program made me realize that I really enjoy research and want to go to graduate school after! As a scientist, I feel like I became more aware of my goals and what I wanted to get out of such an experience. I also believe exposure to various research topics during our enrichment meetings made me more aware of what my interests are and what I want to work on in the future.