Hello, my name is Phillip Witcher. As you read in the previous section, I am a junior planning to major in biochemistry and minor in mathematics. My expected graduation date is may 2017. I joined the 2015 Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) summer research program because, quite frankly, I often become restless merely learning about biology and chemistry from lectures. I find it very fulfilling if I have the ability to apply what I've learned to solve real-world problems. Because of this feeling, I have conducted research at IUPUI ever since I set foot on campus.

In my first semester, I joined Dr. Gregory's research group at the Indiana University School of Dentistry through the Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Institute (MURI). Transitioning from high school to college was, at time, challenging. The MURI program made this transition much smoother by introducing me to the field of academic research and acquainting me with other individuals, undergraduates, graduates, and mentors, who shared the same passion I had for solving problems using advanced knowledge. After a full year of gathering data and analyzing the results, I compiled my findings into an education professional development plan (ePDP), a paper, and a poster. A link to the ePDP, which also contains the academic paper and poster, is below. It was rather fulfilling to present my findings to others who are interested in what I discovered. Thanks to Dr. Gregory and Dr. Windsor, my mentors for the MURI program, I had the privilege of presenting my research at three separate conferences: the Indiana Branch of the American Society of Microbiology (IBASM) regional meeting, the Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD) Research Day, and the IUPUI Research Day. I was humbled to receive first place awards at the IBASM and IUSD meetings.

After conducting research during my freshman year, I discovered an interest in continuing with research. So, I joined the Life Health Sciences Internship (LHSI). This program allows undergraduates to experience what careers in life health sciences are like. I chose an internship position in the research lab of Dr. Ichikawa and Dr. Econs in the department of Medicine and Endocrinology. Through LHSI, I learned about mouse colony management, crucial biochemistry (such as PCR, gel electrophoresis, and DNA/RNA extraction), and how to communicate/work with a research group. Just as with MURI, I also created an ePDP about my LHSI experience; the link is below. Also, I was jubilated to discover that I had had won an award for a premier poster presentation.

The LHSI research experience cemented my belief that I have a future in research. It greatly contributed to my desire to apply for the CTSI summer research program. In the 2015 Research Product, I will explain what I researched and why it is important.