Hey everyone! My name is Milana Kansky, and I am a sophomore at Palomar Community College currently pursuing my bachelor's degree in Molecular and Cell Biology. I am thrilled to be currently working in Dr. Jameson's lab and I am excited to be sharing what a week looks like as an REU student. I have been fortunate enough to have been placed on a project with a great mentor, Jake, who has been helping me get acclimated in the lab and familiar with the project. Dr. Jamesons research is focused on Gamma Delta T cells. Jake and I's project is working to try and possibly uncover a possible biomarker for Alopecia Areata. This week I have performed my own experiment using our cryostat machine to cut our Alopecia Areata (AA) skin sample into thin sheets. After we stain the skin to see specific individual cells under our IF microscope. We take pictures with the microscope and then can quantify the cells to see if there are correlations and interactions between certain cells. I feel very fortunate to be a part of Dr. Jameson's lab and I am excited to continue working with Jake and the rest of the lab members. Wednesday we were lucky enough to speak with PhD candidates that could share some wisdom to the rest of us and give us tips and tricks for grad school. Their advice was real and authentic which was refreshing to hear. On Thursday Dr. Read invited the REU cohort to join her lab in picking up some samples from the Salton Sea. It was definitely an experience I will not forget. We were hit with 104-degree weather, quicksand, and a very unpleasant smell. Despite all the heat we joked and had a great time picking up the samples and enjoyed the beautiful lake. On our way back we stopped in Julian for some delicious pie and ice-cream. When I’m not working in the lab I like to go to the beach with friends and come back to my apartment and cook dinner. This program has been a joy to be a part of and I am so grateful to be a part of it. <3
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Watch this space for weekly updates!Every week, one of our CSUSM NSF REU students will post their blurb, summarizing their week, and chronicling our program. AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
August 2023
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