ASU's Ask a Biologist Podcasts

I do not listen to podcasts but I was assigned to listen to one for my last evolution assignment. I was looking forward to this because I was tired of the same PPT/ worksheet based assignments. Thankfully, one of the TAs felt adventurous and changed things up. What podcast did he assign? Well, I listened to “Why We Get Sick” and one of my choice from ASU’s Ask a Biologist Podcast. I chose “History, Rabbits, and a Deadly Virus”. 

As expected, I learned a lot from these two podcasts. In the first one, the interviewee is Randy Nesse, the Founder of the ASU Center for Evolution and Medicine. I enjoyed his reminder of the good in the “bad” things in life (fevers, pain, and anxiety). Without these critical basic human reactions, we would all be in worse shape. I also am interested in reading Dr. Nesse’s book called “Good Reasons for Bad Feelings”. It sounds counterintuitive but I am intrigued to learn about the topics he will cover. 

In the second podcast, Grant McFadden is a research scientist at ASU who is investigating the interactions between the myxoma virus and human cancer cells. He was asked about this interesting and possible treatment for cancer. Different from modern approaches to fighting cancer, this viral therapy piqued my curiosity. Surprisingly, Dr. McFadden accidently stumbled upon using the myxoma virus as a cancer treatment. As it turns out, when the myxoma virus, which is deadly to rabbits, interacts with human cancer cells, it kills them. Better yet, it does not harm the host (unless, of course, it is a rabbit). The interaction is yet unknown but the results seem promising. 

After listening to these podcasts, I realized how easy they are to follow and how much I can learn. Not only that but I didn’t know ASU had its own podcast. From now on, I will try to listen to podcasts and share any I like! 

I have attached the links to the mentioned podcasts. Please feel free to explore and find others you may like!

• “Why We Get Sick” https://askabiologist.asu.edu/listen-watch/why-we-get-sick
• “History, Rabbits, and a Deadly Virus” https://askabiologist.asu.edu/listen-watch/history-rabbits-and-deadly-virus

How Did Coronavirus Disease Impact Me?

Hello, here’s another blog about the main talk of the year 2020: coronavirus disease (COVID-19). No, I’m not going to talk about the myths and facts. No, I’m not going to talk about the precautions to take. What I am going to talk about is how it has impacted my life.

This year began like any regular year. New Year’s resolutions were in place, spring semester started, and the typical, ordinary, day-to-day life. Boy, how I took that for granted. So, what exactly does this have to do with coronavirus disease? Well, as you may know, talks about this virus began around December 2019. It was spreading fast in Wuhan, China but in the United States, life continued. January… February… and March roll in, and everybody and anybody (like me) is talking about it.

How did this virus impact my life over the course of three months? Everything that has been going on opened my eyes. It showed me to be grateful for each and every day. Having the opportunity to sit in a classroom is a privilege (all of my classes are now online). So is doing homework in a public library (closed) or meeting friends for a cup of coffee. I miss all of these luxuries (oh, and toilet paper!). Yes, I say luxuries because we have been so accustomed to certain items and errands that made life… ordinary. In all reality, it made it better. Personally, it’s sad to think that a virus made me see all that I should be grateful for. As the saying goes:

Enjoy the little things in life because one day you will look back and realize they were the BIG things.

Figure 1. A digital picture of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Fun fact: the virus gets its name because its shape resembles a crown. Crown in Spanish is "corona". 

Citation: 

Harvard Medical School. “Coronavirus Resource Center.” Harvard Health, Harvard Health Publishing, 27 Mar. 2020, www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus-resource-center.

Learning Something New

 You know the saying, “you learn something new everyday”? I love it because it’s true. From the smallest detail to the biggest concept, we are continuously learning. Being in the science field, I’m very much accustomed to this. This semester, I learn everyday through a wide range of classes:

1. Ecology
2. Developmental Psychology 
3. Evolution 
4. Animal Behavior
5. STEM Success

In this blog post, I’m going to share a few things I learned.

In developmental psychology, I learned that babies under six months can't self-soothe. When they cry, they are under a lot of stress and the stress hormone, cortisol, shoots up. When a caregiver picks them up, cortisol levels drop and the baby feels much better. Also, the baby will adequately begin to self-regulate after six months of age. It may be believed that picking up a baby when they cry will spoil them (I thought this was true before I took this class). However, this is inaccurate. At the end of the day, picking them up is beneficial for them. 

In STEM success, we are reading Daring Greatly by Brené Brown. Ever since I read the introduction, the book caught my attention and I wanted to keep reading. The author talks about scarcity, vulnerability and other common characteristics that are looked down on. During the first three chapters, she expresses how characteristics that are applauded for are often the result of the “weak” characteristics. For example, those who are courageous display vulnerability… WHAT? I never would have thought these two would go hand-in-hand. However, upon reading her book, I can see the relationship now. Stepping outside one’s comfort zone is vulnerability.  Isn’t stepping outside one’s comfort zone also courageous? This is something I learned and hope to bring down my guard to see what’s on the other side. Whether it’s good or bad, it’ll be added onto my “what did you learn today?” list.

Figure 1. A drawing of a thinking brain. 

Citation:

“Collection of Thinking Brain Cliparts (45).” Free Thinking Brain Cliparts, Download Free Clip Art, Free Clip Art on Clipart Library, clipart-library.com/thinking-brain-cliparts.html.

A Step Towards the Future

Have you ever worked on a project, put so much effort into it and actually liked the end product? Me too. I recently had to create a timeline for my evolution class about Earth's history. Sounds pretty easy, right? However, the instructor requested us to be creative about it. She didn't want us to do a simple linear timeline; no, she encouraged collages, videos, pictures, and, interesting enough, songs. I'm not quite sure how a song would work but I would like to hear one.

I decided to lean towards a drawing. I had a couple of ideas but I wasn't quite sure which to go with. I could have done a stair case... no, too boring. A fast forward video of drawings on a white board? Post-it note flip book? A maze showing start to finish with events along the path? I liked these ideas but I wasn't sold. The one I decided to go with was drawing foot prints. As cheesy as it sounds, everything in Earth's history was done a step at a time.

As I began my drawing, I took my time and paid attention to detail. After about five hours of working on it, I finished and I'm happy to say that I genuinely like it! Pictured below, the timeline I created: "A Step Towards the Future" is shown.

Figure 1. My timeline depicting the steps that molded the Earth we see today.  

Me to Me: Use Resources and Network!

As a first generation student, I wish I had all the help I could get when I started college. With that being said, if I could go back in time and give myself advice, it would be to take advantage of every resource on campus. When I first started, I was unsure where to go to find scholarships or financial aid. Not only that but I did not know who to ask. I spoke to students in class but only kept it at that. I did not think to ask more about their life and the idea of networking did not cross my mind. On that note, I would also tell myself to keep a close network of colleagues for future references. Today, I have maintained a good network and have been exposed to so many opportunities. As simple as it may seem, I have had free meals because a colleague of mine informs me about such events. Networking goes beyond this though as I found an internship out-of-state due to another colleague. One day, I noticed she was typing away and asked what she was working on. She mentioned she was applying to an internship in Boston, so I took that opportunity to do the same and expand upon other states. To say the least, if it was not for her, I would not have known about such benefits. If I had known about the importance of using resources and networking earlier in college, I may have started achieving accomplishments sooner rather than later.

Figure 1. A clipart depicting how networking works. One person knows another, who knows another, and so on ("Linked Connected Network...", n.d.).

Citation:

“Linked Connected Network Free Picture - Connected Circles Transparent Background {#355967 - Free Cliparts on ClipartWiki.” ClipartWiki.com, https://www.clipartwiki.com/iclip/hRxRoR_linked-connected-network-free-picture-connected-circles-transparent/.

Goals: Completed, Ongoing and New.

Since the beginning of school, my goals have ranged from new and old. I’ve listed completed, ongoing and new goals below. 

My completed goals:

1. Shadow a doctor.

2. Learn sign language.

Goals that I am continuing to work towards:

1. Graduate with a BS in Biology in May 2020.

2. Donate my hair to Children with Hair Loss.

3.Skydive.

New goals:

1. Apply for a medical Spanish interpreter program.

2. Get hired as an EMT.

3. Volunteer in a human trafficking organization.

This semester, I had the opportunity to shadow medical professionals at DMG Children’s Rehabilitative Services (CRS) clinic. I observed doctors and nurse practitioners in neurology, spina bífida, pulmonology, genetics, and audiology. That checked off one of my goals and I couldn’t be happier. Another goal I completed was learning sign language. I’ve always been intrigued with this beautiful language and feel proud to say that I’ve finished two years of American Sign Language (ASL) classes.

I have been working towards my ongoing goals for two to four years now. It hasn’t been easy, with difficult classes arising and the feeling that time-is-of-the-essence. I’ve learned that patience and dedicated/ honest work are key. Everything will be worth it in the end and I will proudly pat myself on the back. I can’t wait to see that day.

My new goals are small and nothing drastic or impossible to achieve. I like to set goals that I know I can accomplish, even if they sound challenging. As the old saying goes, if you stick your mind to it, you can achieve anything. Everyday, I am working towards completing my goals and creating new ones. After all, goals have helped me keep my mind on track and focused; that’s something I want to continue doing.

Figure 1. A cartoon climbing up a ladder to get to a goal ("The Gentle Way...", n.d.). This is how goals usually are and it's not easy to get to them. Dedication, self-awareness and time management are a few of the many skills that are helpful in climbing up the ladder and grabbing a goal. 

Citation:

“The Gentle Way to Effective Goal Setting and Ending Procrastination: Goals, Achieving Goals, Coach International.” Pinterest, https://www.pinterest.com/pin/24136547976700952/.

My Dream Job

I’ve always had the desire to help others. When it comes to teaching or advising, I don’t hesitate to do so if it means someone will benefit from it. With this in mind, I want a job where I can do this everyday. Not only that but my interest in biology and how the body works has driven me towards a scientific career. What career is that exactly? Well, my dream job would be a researcher and/or pediatric surgeon. 

For the researcher and surgeon position, asking questions, providing answers or trying to find answers are aspects I would cover everyday. I’ve been curious most of my life and still am. Research would feed into my curiosity as I would try to find answers. In addition, I love working with my hands because I learn better that way. Using my hands when following protocols or during surgery/ dissections would be a dream come true. 

Altogether, I know there are various careers that involve biology or helping people. Such examples are a nurse, professor, bioengineer or environmental attorney (yes, an attorney). Unlike research or surgery, these areas didn’t appeal to me. Some careers are shorter than others but I don’t mind how long the education is. At the end of it, I’ll be proud of the hard work it took to achieve my dream job.

Figure 1. A funny research meme that shows a surprised boxer dog ("Enjoyed Research?...", 2012). Research is a difficult area but requires a lot of patience and appreciation. Though my experience with research hasn't been the best, I am hopeful to find an area I genuinely enjoy. 

Citation

“Enjoyed Research? Are You Sure You're Doing It Right?” Cheezburger, Cheezburger, 29 Nov. 2012, https://cheezburger.com/6822989056.