Summer Undergraduate Experience By William Martinson
I
n summer 2017, I was fortunate to do research at the University of Michigan as part of the Frankel Cardiovascular Center Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
(FCVC-SURF). I had just completed my junior year at Brown University, where I was studying Applied Mathematics-Biology (a joint degree offered by my college’s Applied Math department that focusses on using mathematical modeling and statistical analysis in biology). I knew I wanted to pursue my interests in mathematics and biology post-graduation but wasn’t sure how exactly they could be used together in a future career. Also, unlike some of my peers, I had no wet lab experience outside the classroom and was intimidated to commit myself to graduate studies and biology research without first understanding what it would be like. ter understand what kind of postgraduate study I would be The FCVC-SURF program was the perfect summer experi-
most passionate to pursue, and how I could apply my knowl-
ence: it exposed me to cutting-edge research in biology, but
edge to answer pertinent questions that could have a large
more than that, it gave me the opportunity to meet and learn
impact in medicine and society. In fact, without the FCVC-
from a wide range of doctors, scientists, and physician-sci-
SURF program, I would not have learned about or applied
entists who were free to pursue their passions for science in
to the graduate program in which I’m currently enrolled. It
ways that made a tangible difference in others’ lives. I worked
was at one of the SURF program’s talks that I heard from Dr.
for the lab of Dr. Jordan Shavit, a hematologist/oncologist
Santiago Schnell, who spoke about his journey to Michigan’s
who studies the genetics of blood clotting and its associated
MIP department and his experiences as a graduate mathe-
disorders in zebrafish. I assisted in the design and implemen-
matics student at the University of Oxford. From him, I came
tation of a mutagenesis screen for modifiers of thrombosis. I
to learn about the mathematicians in Oxford’s Mathematical
learned how to perform a variety of techniques that I had only
Biology group, who were using the same modeling and sta-
heard about in my courses, in addition to some that I hadn’t
tistical techniques from my undergraduate courses to assist
even imagined existed. I gained a better appreciation for the
experimentalists and doctors in research and in the clinic. Dr.
nature of research and came to love it by the end of my time
Schnell’s enthusiasm for his graduate education, his mentors,
at Michigan. I quickly became close friends with other mem-
and his current research inspired me to apply to the Univer-
bers of my cohort, and together we enjoyed the sights and
sity of Oxford, where I am currently in my second year as a
wonderful aspects Ann Arbor had to offer. I still have a small
DPhil student, developing and analyzing mathematical mod-
photo that I found at the city’s annual art fair decorating my
els for angiogenesis and neural crest cell migration.
room back home.
Thanks to the FCVC-SURF program, I gained confidence in
The most special aspect of the FCVC-SURF program was the
my ability to pursue biomedical research and discovered the
weekly talks I attended as part of the program, in which fac-
perfect graduate program for my background and research
ulty members from the FCVC and MIP came to discuss their
interests. I would like to thank all those involved with the MIP
career paths, the story behind their research interests, and
summer programs for providing the opportunity to take my
their advice for undergraduates like myself (these were joint
first genuine step into science, for giving undergraduate stu-
talks among the FCVC-SURF and other MIP summer under-
dents like me a chance to experience what research and life
graduate research programs). By hearing about these re-
as a graduate student is like, and for helping me learn about
searchers’ pathways into biomedical research, I came to bet-
what careers exist in medicine and biology post-graduation.
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Physiology Matters
