Deans’ Summer Research Fellowship (DSRF) Story: Ariana Matarangas

Author: Ariana Matarangas

What challenges did you encounter during your research and how did you work through these difficulties?

This summer was mostly spent optimizing protocols given the time constraints I had in lab and the extent of western blot experiments I had planned. It set me up for being able to get a great start to the work this semester, but it was at times frustrating when the science doesn't work as planned. I ended up having to take a few steps back to confirm the presence of a valid status of our candidate gene in our cell lines, which took some time out of the scheduled plan of testing for proteins. It took flexibility and reassurance for my mentor when things didn't work and making adjustments to the plan which I will begin working on again now that the semester is beginning.

What sparked your interest in this field?  

My interest in orthopedic surgery was originally shaped by my background as a long-term competitive athlete before coming to Duke. I came across my PI, Dr. Julia Visgauss, through clinical shadowing in orthopedic oncology (a field I didn't know existed but combined both interests in orthopedics and oncology for me) and decided to transition into her lab. I have learned through this experience how creative the field of orthopedic oncology is surgically, and how flexible you have to be in the field of cancer biology when investigating a rare cancer type that is very understudied.

Curious about DSRF?

This project was made possible through the Deans’ Summer Research Fellowship (DSRF)—a unique opportunity for rising juniors and seniors in the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences to pursue funded summer research full-time!