The Myofilament Experience

In the summer following my freshman year, I joined Dr. Jil Tardiff’s laboratory as a part of UBRP. I’ve built countless meaningful connections and worked under my graduate student mentor Catherine Vasquez to develop valuable lab skills. I aspire to become a physician-scientist in the field of cardiovascular muscle biology. 

The Myofilament Meeting 2024 was a unique opportunity to interact with field experts and scientific work from around the world. I received a UBRP travel award which helped fund my trip and I am very appreciative to the donors that made it possible.  At this conference, I was able to attend many early-career investigator talks, where I gained valuable insights as to how scientists establish their work early in the field. Additionally, several keynote speakers such as Dr. Elizabeth McNally, a clinician scientist at Northwestern University, gave incredible talks that merged clinical perspectives with translational research to effectively present their work to a wide scope of researchers. This further established my goals of becoming a physician-scientist that seeks to develop novel therapies for heart disease. After each seminar, I attended networking events where I connected with numerous students and faculty members that shared similar interests. 

The most rewarding experience was being able to present a scientific poster about my independent project titled: “Investigating the effects of two independent dilated cardiomyopathies on beta-adrenergic signaling.” Although nervous, I was proud to share my work and engage in insightful conversations with other scientists that provided helpful feedback and alternative perspectives to incorporate into my project. I would encourage anybody who is passionate about research to take opportunities to present and attend conferences. I developed new connections, interpersonal/scientific growth, and a stronger sense of direction for my future in medicine and translational science.