Faith Muriuki - Dr. Spector - Week 2

 6/10/24 - 6/14/2024


A majority of this week was spent in the operating room (OR), where I observed many interesting cases. One such case involved the use of the Da Vinci robot to assist in the surgery. Prior to this experience, I had only seen the Da Vinci robot on television shows, so it was fascinating to witness it in real life and in action. The Da Vinci case was just one of the cases I observed this week, and it was notably less bloody than some of the other cases. Some of the cases were extremely bloody, underscoring the importance of wearing shoe covers.

In addition to my time in the OR, I attended the weekly Tuesday meeting. This week focused on using ChatGPT for healthcare purposes. The speaker, Dr. George Shih, delivered a highly engaging presentation, from which I learned a great deal. I am genuinely surprised by the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). The current capabilities of AI are truly remarkable, and they are only expected to progress even further.

The Tuesday meeting was not the only one I attended this week. Dr. Spector's lab also held a lab meeting yesterday. During this meeting, each member provided updates on their progress. Following these updates, we had a journal club session where we discussed a paper on the effects of adding adipose stem cells to decellularized tissue for regenerative purposes. The paper was an interesting read, and the resulting discussion was highly informative. I gained insights not only into the field of biomaterials for regenerative medicine but also into the values and intentions behind the research in Dr. Spector's lab.

After the lab meeting, I started working on my research project. Since my project heavily relies on patient-derived samples, progress is dependent on receiving blood and tissue donations. Understandably, it can be challenging to persuade patients to donate blood. Fortunately, earlier that day, the lab received a blood sample from a patient. Therefore, I was able to learn how to isolate T-cells from patient-derived blood. Additionally, I was able to examine the blood under a microscope. Seeing the blood under the microscope was incredibly fascinating, as it allowed me to visually identify both red blood cells and T-cells.

Later today, Dr. Prince will be instructing us on how to read and interpret MRI images. I am looking forward to this session, as I have encountered MRI images in research journals but often struggle to interpret them. I am confident that the information provided in this meeting will help me interpret any MRI images I encounter during future literature reviews.

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