Thesis Planning

The lab I decided to stay in is just getting started at LLU, so right now it’s just me and the PI, Dr. Salvador Soriano. Since there wasn’t any ongoing research in the lab when I got there, the experiments we’re planning out are going to be my thesis. While the opportunity is tremendous, it’s also difficult: there has to be hypothesis-driven logic to everything I plan on doing.

Starting things in the lab has been time-consuming as we realize all things we’re missing and still need to order. Some of the techniques I’m familiar with from my previous work at UMB, but I’m completely starting from scratch with cell culture. In the spaces between I have been doing a load of reading about the research questions I’m going to be attempting to answer.

Without any data to show yet, presenting this in some form is the most I can offer at the joint meetings we have with our neighboring lab. They’ve got a completely different research focus, so the challenge in a presentation like this is taking people from knowing next to nothing about what you’re talking about to a point where the more detailed experiments you’re attempting make sense.

I’ve found this especially challenging, as a lot of things that seem obvious to me after months of reading and studying these things make absolutely no sense to people listening. This was especially clear when I tried to explain everything to Rachel in preparation. Let’s just say she showed some incredible patience.

Ultimately, the logic is going to have be tight, with every fact I state backed up by evidence. As frustrating and demoralizing as it can be, identifying the myriad holes and gaps early is going to help me later on when I start writing my thesis.