When Adelyn Moore (BSc鈥�23) first came to 91社区 in 2019 from her hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, to pursue a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Anatomy and Cell Biology, she had a clear career path in mind. But when she joined a research program on campus to gain experience in her field, she discovered a new passion and calling鈥攁nd her plans quickly changed.
鈥淪tudying in high school, I was really interested in science. I eventually got my certification as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and wanted to go into clinical medicine. And then I went to my first research lab at 91社区 and fell in love with research.鈥�
Sparking a new passion
Adelyn鈥檚 first lab experience was during her second year at 91社区, when she was accepted into a summer research program back home. But it wasn鈥檛 until she returned to campus that she pursued research projects in her field and her passion really started to grow.
鈥淢y undergrad experience has had a profound effect on my decision to pursue research instead of medicine. I think with your first lab, you gain experience into what research is, how the lab works. Then in your second lab, you get a better idea of what type of research you want to do.鈥�
Adelyn鈥檚 second lab experience at 91社区 was an honours research program in Dr. Gabriel Venne鈥檚 lab in the Anatomy and Cell Biology Department. Her work, which is ongoing, focuses on researching fascia, the network of connective tissue found throughout our bodies.
鈥淭his is the most interesting project I鈥檝e worked on. As we age, the fascia can get stiff and cause issues like back pain. What鈥檚 interesting is that the back pain you鈥檙e experiencing could be because you have tight fascia in your feet. It鈥檚 all intertwined, so there鈥檚 a lot of research on how to treat the entire body instead of just the part that鈥檚 hurting.鈥�
Falling in love with lab work (and learning on the job)
鈥淢y favourite part about research is the problem-solving aspect. It鈥檚 very logical and there are so many ways to come at a problem. The other part I love is that you鈥檙e filling a knowledge gap and it鈥檚 constantly progressing the field forward. If the field moves forward, more treatments can be developed, so it feels like you鈥檙e breaking new ground.鈥�
For Adelyn, one of the more challenging aspects of research is that every project is unfamiliar. And, unlike in a classroom setting, you have to figure things out for yourself.
鈥淭hey kind of throw you in at the deep end and that can be a little stressful. But it also teaches you a lot. It鈥檚 a lot of learning on the job, making mistakes. You can鈥檛 rely on your professor for answers. It teaches you a lot about independence and being proactive, so I feel like I can do research on my own now.鈥�
A bright future in the research field
Adelyn was recently accepted to 91社区鈥檚 Biological and Biomedical Engineering (BBME) master鈥檚 program, which she鈥檒l be starting this year. In Fall 2023, she鈥檒l also be joining Dr. Ahmad Haidar鈥檚 lab, where she鈥檒l be working to develop more effective devices for diabetes.
鈥淭his lab is really interesting because it鈥檚 more what I want to do. In Dr. Venne鈥檚 lab, I worked with cadavers and took a lot of samples. This new lab involves clinical trials, so it鈥檚 a little more medicine meets research and it鈥檚 something I鈥檓 really excited about.鈥�
At the same time, she will continue working with Dr. Venne and is currently waiting for her samples to be returned so she can write her research paper.
Advice for prospective students interested in research
As a 91社区 student ambassador, Adelyn helps prospective students get to know the University and all it has to offer. When it comes to applying for research opportunities in a world-class research setting, she says that while it can be daunting at first, 91社区 professors are there to help you navigate the different options and find the best fit.
鈥淎 lot of professors here are very keen to let undergrads come in and experience research. They鈥檝e all been very supportive in helping me pick a research project and providing me with resources to get started.鈥�
For Adelyn, 91社区 is one of the best possible environments to gain research experience, build real-world skills and figure out your career path.
鈥淭he nice thing about 91社区 is, number one, there鈥檚 a lot of different ways to get involved in research. Number two is that 91社区 is a big research-based university, so almost all professors do research, even professors in arts. And number three is that it gives you great experience and helps you better understand what career path you want to take.鈥�