Irene Wong, G3 (2019); Carla Kim Lab
What lab are you in and what do you study?
“For now, I study epithelial and mesenchymal interactions in the distal lung. Every time you get breathe or get sick, your lungs can get damaged. We [the Kim lab] study regeneration after injury and the basic mechanisms of stem cell interactions. Our lab also studies several lung diseases and is developing computational tools to address classical questions in our field.”
What do you find most interesting about your project?
“My project is a great way to learn wet lab techniques, but also start to develop computational skills with other people in the lab. I think it is important to mix different skill sets in order to make new findings that we previously didn't have the tools for."
When did you realize you wanted to be a scientist?
“In high school, I participated in an outreach program called CURE (Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences) [at Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center]. I did this for two years and this made me realize I could become a scientist. Now that I am a graduate student here, I wear lots of different hats to help this program - I facilitate journal clubs, serve as a group mentor, and design/improve the curriculum.”
What are your plans or goals for after graduate school?
“I will probably stay in academia, but have a focus on science education. I don’t know if I would want to run my own lab or teach full time, or do more administration. My PI is very supportive of my participation in CURE and professional development activities outside of lab.”
What do you do for fun outside of graduate school?
“I used to be a competitive powerlifter so I maintain lifting as a hobby. I like to bike and scuba dive. I also went to Europe for the first time recently! I went to Latvia, Sweden, and Spain.”