Sally Lee / Dr. Thomas J. Fahey - Week 8

 Week 8 - Reflecting on the immersion term

Name: Sally Lee

Clinician mentor: Thomas J. Fahey


As this week marks the last week, I watched presentations of other immersion cohorts who had not presented last week. It was fascinating to observe the diverse range of projects that everyone has been working on during this immersive experience. 


Reflecting on my own research project, an exciting milestone was reached on July 27th. I finally received the bulk RNA-seq data of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors from Dr. Finnerty’s lab, which is also part of the endocrinology department. It was a relief to have the data in hand. Looking ahead, my next step involves requesting preprocessing of the data from the genomics core facility. I am curious to see how the analysis of these samples, integrated to the control single cell RNA-seq data that I have already generated with control human islet data. By performing a pseudo-bulk analysis, I hope to gain valuable insights into the gene expression patterns within these tumors. 


I am grateful for the invaluable learning experience this immersion term has provided me. Having the opportunity to witness firsthand the clinical aspect of the disease that my research aims to contribute towards finding a cure has given my research a deeper purpose and meaning. It has been a great source of motivation for me to do research that will benefit the lives of those affected by the illness. 

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