I chose the DIY Diagnostics team because I knew that it would have me working in the realm of the medical field. I knew that working in this stream would help open my eyes to the world of medical research, and to become inspired to create simple, at-home diagnostic tests for people to use.
I am extremely excited to see my current project come to life. This project is a continuation of a previous idea, which is to create a test to determine whether an athlete is doping (using testosterone) to better their performance.
Programming an app was pretty difficult at first. The minute details that go into an app can become frustrating, but the experience of working with app creation was able to push my knowledge of technology even further than it was before.
A very fun moment while working in the stream was when we started to use the 3D printers. Seeing something you created on your laptop come out and become something you can hold is a very good feeling.
At first, I didn’t know how I would feel about doing research. There is a stigma and idea that you will just be stuck behind books and a computer for hours on end, but that is not the case at all. Doing field research is a huge component in this stream. Seeing real life samples and test results brought forward a new idea of how exactly a research stream at UT works.
This stream has taught me how to incorporate your favorite hobbies into your research, making the environment of the research lab much more enjoyable than you thought.