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Jaewon Oh - Week 1

After a hectic first week, I am finally settling into my lab. My lab is fairly small and I have only met three people: Dr. Townsend (PI), Dr. Cannataro (PostDoc), and Dr. Wong. I only really interact with Dr. Townsend and Dr. Cannataro because Dr. Wong works with fungi. It was definitely very awkward on the first day we all met. I tried making small talk during lunch but it never really led anywhere. I soon realised that if I was going to talk to Dr. Townsend and Dr. Cannataro during my experience, a discussion of science would open them up. Things are, however, starting to become less awkward and I am more comfortable with asking questions and seeking help.

Originally I thought that I would be working with prostate cancer, only to be given a paper on ALK receptors in neuroblastoma a week before I arrived at the lab. After having read the paper, I was quickly put to work on a project that would aim to compare the ALK mutations with their specific selection intensities. By doing so, we can identify which mutations actually have an effect on tumour progression or not. Once I organised the mutation data into google sheets, I was ready to compare it with the selection intensity data our lab had. Unfortunately, it turned out that there wasn't enough data on ALK, and furthermore, on the specific mutations the paper had included.

To keep me busy while Dr. Townsend and Dr. Cannataro sort out the ALK data shortage, Dr. Townsend sent me a paper on TP53 mutations. Reading a new paper wasn't difficult because EXP had prepared us for this. But unlike the ALK paper, the TP53 paper didn't provide any graphs/tables. So using an online database, I found data on TP53 mutations and their functional assessments in different experiments. Sorting this data with my lab's data on excel is quite a hefty task. In order to become more efficient in organising data in excel, I have begun to learn how to use the coding language "R". Despite it being tedious and difficult to essentially learn a new language, I am up for the challenge and strongly believe that it will be a beneficial asset in my future both in and out of this lab.

I am currently taking crash courses on R, and once I become more proficient in manipulating data, I can compare and organise bigger sets of data. This will allow me to answer more questions on possible relationships between cancer and selection intensities. With the ALK and TP53 projects available, I will see which one develops into a more long term one.

Finally, here is my work place. I do have to get up and move every hour because sitting in a chair and staring at data/code can take a toll on me :)

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