Thrown into 2nd Year

It’s been forever since I last wrote. And I would like to blame that on the craziness of being a 2^nd year in graduate school! I don’t even know where the summer went and the next thing I know I am being thrown into the deep-end of 2^nd year.

I think of all the years 2^nd year will be the hardest. Lucky for me, my qualifying exam is not until next semester. So, you would think I can take this semester to think about my quals and getting off with my research project. Unfortunately, it seems like the exact opposite! I did however get to make and present my first poster ever last Friday!

Somehow, I have found myself really involved on campus, off campus, and in lab! Although I would not have it any other way. My best advice for this time of the year… Get organized, get working, don’t forget to relax when possible!

~Cell-ebraTez

Comments

Operation Mouse

Part of working at such a great research institution is working with mice. While my first experience as I had mentioned earlier in the blog was sacrificing these animals, my experience now is much more exciting and productive towards the scientific community. I have learned to inject mice and collect mouse tissue for further studies. Around Thanksgiving, someone asked me, "don't you feel bad 'torturing' the animals?" While at first I did not know how respond, but then I think about it and I realize that I had to go through so much training and clearances just to be able to set a foot in the animal facilities. Ever step of the way, humane acts are enforced while dealing with animals. Animal models are essential especially for research that is being translated into therapies for various diseases or for research that is used to better understand various diseases. The best thing I can say is, if not animals then would you prefer s...

Acknowledging Our Humanity

Last month, I went to an event on UTSW’s campus called Acknowledging our Humanity. The event was a compilation of stories submitted by faculty, graduate, health professions and medical students about their personal experiences with mental health challenges. I never realized how so many people struggle with mental health illness, yet it is still such a “dirty” topic to be discussed. Did you know: 1:6 US adults lives with a mental illness (44.7 million in 2016) An estimated 16.2 million adults in the US have had at least one major depressive episode Major depressive episodes are more prevalent in females (8.5%) than in males (4.8%) Young adults, aged 18-25 are most susceptible to major depressive episodes (10.9%) An average of 31.1% of US adults experience anxiety disorder at some point in their lives Anxiety disorders are higher for females (23.4%) than for males (14.3%) In 2015, suicide was amongst the top 10 leading causes of death, claiming more tha...

Meal Prepping My Way Into the New Year

Like my previous blog suggested, the New Year is all about optimism. With this optimism, I prepped my meals for the week. Hard boiled eggs, turkey bacon and fruit (banana or orange) Flat bread wrap. Toppings: Smoked Turkey Deli, Hummus, Jalapeños, Craisins and Avocado Slices. Snack: Jalapeños String Cheese and Apple Slices. Option 1: Tandoori Chicken and Sautéed Mushrooms, Onions, Spinach and Bell Peppers. Option 2: Coconut Thai Noodles ~Cell-ebraTez

CELLebraTEZ

Search This Blog