Hi,
On the last day we had to get up really early, pack, and bring our things down the first floor. We then headed out to catch the metro to go to Bethesda, Maryland, the location of the NIH!
At Union Station, there was a really big tree. It was humongous! But yeah, we hurried up and rushed onto the metro.
After riding for a while, we finally arrived in Bethesda. So, for those of you that don't know, the National Institutes of Health is a government agency which provides funding for medical research. At the actual institute, they have many divisions that encompass different disorders and body systems. The NIH is actually the world largest medical funding source, so it's extremely important in the advancement of medicine and it's helped with many modern medical discoveries.
Here, we heard from James Battey. He's the director of the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. He was also on a committee that helped write the current guidelines for stem cell research. Under the Bush administration, an executive order was issued that stated any stem cell line created after 9pm on August 1st, 2001 could not receive federal funds for research. This greatly limited the amount of research for obvious monetary reasons. But, on March 9th, 2009, Obama removed this barrier and stated that federal funds could be used for any federally approved stem cell line. To further decide the specifics and guidelines of what should be "federally approved," a committee was created. Battey was on this committee, so he has held an important role in the progress of stem cell research in the US.
His presentation was about the basics of stem cells, current progress in research, and how stem cell policy affects this progress. Like always, we had a nice Q&A. We learned that although the many more cell lines were eligible for funding, progress hasn't changed made any huge leaps. With that being said, research is still progressing and the future looks hopeful!
And yeah. Here's the require pic of me in front of the building/logo.
And this was one of the last escalators that I saw in DC. I became a pro of the dynamics and it was a cool experience. From the NIH, we headed back to DC to go get some food at a restaurant that someone recommended to us.
On the first night, when we were looking for somewhere to eat, we asked some of the Caltech alums if there were any good, decent priced places near us. They told us that there was a place right next to Sonoma (the restaurant where the reception was held) that had great burgers and shakes. When we got back to DC, we went to this restaurant: the Good Stuff Eatery. Since the alums recommended the shake, I decided to get one!...even though it was really cold outside! I ordered a small size, but then ended up giving me the larger size since they made extra. But yeah, you can't tell me that doesn't look delicious! And it was!
I don't know about you, but I thought this was pretty awesome. There were like four different kinds of mayo! I ended up getting a chicken burger and I thought initially that it was small. But, by the end of the burger I was super full! Overall it was great and I recommend it to anyone in the DC area. :)
After lunch we headed back to William Penn House, got our stuff and headed back to the airport.
Here's my first pic sitting at the window seat! Bye DC.
So now the trip has come to end and I've learned a lot. Initially, I went on this trip to help as a leader for the Caltech Y. But, as the trip progressed and I heard from different speakers, I learned that there are so many opportunities for someone with a Ph.D. I never even considered the possibility of lobbying or getting a science policy fellowship.
I think the talk that had the largest impact on me was the one by James Battey at the NIH. As a non-premed biologist, I've known that research is the path for me. However, I'm pretty sure I don't want to go into academia. So, this leaves industry. But, after hearing from Battey and learning about some of the opportunities at the NIH, I've learned that there are tons of other options. Battey made his career at the NIH and achieved much success. This gave me lots of hope and I'm extremely I got to talk to someone who's been successful.
Overall, the trip was amazing and for any of your future Techers, I would highly recommend applying and attending the trip. You'll learn a bunch and gain a stronger appreciation for the scientists in DC. And for those of you who don't go on this specific trip, I would recommend learning about science policy!
Okay, it was nice blogging for you guys again and good luck with all your college admissions! Hope to see you guys here for Prefrosh weekend!
-Mario