19 Jul Stella Coe- UCSD George Lab- Week 6

Hello everybody, and welcome back to my Pintern blog.
I honestly can’t even believe this is the final one.
Six weeks ago, I drove into San Diego excited, a little nervous, and with absolutely no clue what to expect. Now, I’m leaving with a deeper appreciation for neuroscience, an incredible group of mentors and friends, and a newfound interest in scientific research that I never could have imagined.

Monday 7/13
This week began with surgeries.
It was surreal watching Molly implant the very catheters that I had spent hours assembling during my first weeks in the lab. Seeing the entire process come full circle was one of my favorite moments of the internship. Each surgery followed a careful routine. The rats were first anesthetized before we shaved the surgical sites on their necks and backs. They received a pre-op anti-inflammatory medication called flunixin that helps with pain, and once everything was prepared, Molly carefully went in through the back and threaded the catheter into the jugular vein. The surgeries required incredible precision and patience. Afterward, each rat received cefazolin, an antibiotic to reduce the risk of infection, before being placed into a recovery cage.
The work didn’t end once surgery was over. Throughout the afternoon we continually checked on each animal, as the first several hours after surgery are critical to ensure they recover safely.
That afternoon Kaila and I continued polishing our presentations that we presented to the lab on Friday.

– Surgical table

Tuesday 7/14
Nine surgeries had been completed on Monday, and Tuesday brought ten more.
By now, I had settled into the routine. Many of Tuesday’s surgeries were on male rats, whose larger jugular veins generally make the procedure a little easier.
That afternoon, a few of us girls went to a drive-through car wash to prepare my car for the road trip back home. We had a blast! Literally anything I do with these girls turns into a great time full of laughter and pure goofiness.

Wednesday 7/15
Wednesday brought eleven surgeries, and it was a busy day.
Unfortunately, one of the rats did not wake up after surgery. It was a little hard to see and a difficult reminder that biomedical research involves living animals, and they, too, follow the biological realities of life. During surgery, blood was also collected so baseline serum samples could be analyzed later. I helped transfer those samples so they could be centrifuged and processed.
While Kaila was working on her brains, I put the finishing touches on my presentation.
Looking through my slides, I realized just how much I had accomplished this summer. That evening, I packed up all my stuff- it was definitely emotional. I created a little sanctuary in San Diego. I decorated my top bunk, and I called it home for the past 6 weeks. Taking it all down meant that I had to face the reality that I was leaving in a couple of days.

Thursday 7/16
Although the surgeries for the oxycodone cohort were complete, there was still plenty of work to do.
We had to collect the baseline blood samples from the naïve rats while they were under anesthesia. Blood was drawn from the retro-orbital plexus, a large network of blood vessels located behind the eye that allows researchers to collect relatively large blood samples efficiently.
I stepped into the shoes of Cinderella today… before she got her nice ball gown. I scraped both blood and feces off of the floor. Science isn’t always elegant.
The afternoon was spent collecting blood samples from the EVSA rats with Sonja and Lyena. The three of us made a pretty efficient team and moved through the process quickly.
That evening we cleaned the house before my mom arrived the next day, practiced presentations, and I passed out from the long day.

Friday 7/17
I still can’t believe this was our last day.
Kaila and I started the morning the way we had started so many others: with a trip to the gym. The employee working the front desk knew it was our last visit and kindly let us use the massage chairs before we left. It was a perfect way to start the day.
Before noon, Sonja helped me practice my presentation one final time.
Then it was time to present!
Kaila and I presented our internship experience to both our lab and another sister lab. Looking around the room at undergraduate students, graduate students, technicians, and professors, all gathered to hear about the work we had contributed to, was incredibly rewarding.
The presentation went really well too! I was super grateful for the opportunity to share how much I learned and how truly valuable this internship was.
The afternoon consisted of preparing supplies for Molly’s next cohort of oxycodone rats, collecting one final round of blood samples, and weighing the EVSA rats.
Then…
My mama arrived!!
Getting to introduce her to the people who had shaped my entire summer meant so much to me. She was finally able to see the lab that had become my second home and meet the mentors who had taught me so much.
That evening, I made my famous salmon rice bowls one last time before all of us headed to Scripps Pier for one final jump into the Pacific Ocean together.
We ended the night exactly as every good celebration should… at a delicious dessert bar!!

Presenting!

-Planet Fitness massage chairs

-One last boba  -Salmon rice bowls!!

Saturday 7/18
Then came the part I had been dreading: the goodbyes.
We shared one last pancake breakfast together before everyone stood in the driveway singing and dancing to So Long, Farewell from The Sound of Music as we pulled away.
Telluride, here we come.

Singing us farewell

Thank You
Thank you to Pinhead Institute for creating a program that gives high school students opportunities they never imagined possible.
Thank you to Sarah Holbrook for months of planning and for making this internship such an incredible experience from beginning to end.
Thank you to Dr. Olivier George for welcoming us into the George Lab and allowing us to experience what real neuroscience research looks like.
Thank you to Sonja Plasil, who answered every question I asked, encouraged my curiosity every single day, and became an incredible mentor and role model.
Thank you to Molly Brennan, for patiently teaching me everything from catheter assembly to surgeries, and for trusting me with meaningful responsibilities in the lab.
Thank you to Selene Zahedi, for making science exciting, teaching me techniques like ELISAs and light-sheet microscopy, making me laugh every day, and even knowing when I simply needed a fifteen-minute nap.
Thank you to Lyena Monis, for making long afternoons of EVSA work, cage changes, and Hamilton sing-alongs infinitely more fun.
Thank you to the rats. We couldn’t have done this without you!
Thank you to Jennie (aka Mama J.), our host mom, for creating a home away from home. You built an environment that felt safe, and open.
Thank you to Kaila, Zoe, Ellie, Belle, Liliana, and Izzy. I honestly can’t imagine this summer without you. Whether we were making runs to target or boba, jumping into the Pacific, or laughing until our stomachs hurt, you made every single day brighter.
And finally, thank you to Patillas and Goose for always being there to greet us when we got home.
Six weeks ago I came to San Diego hoping to learn about neuroscience.
I’m leaving with lifelong friendships, incredible mentors, unforgettable memories, and a newfound confidence in myself.
Thank you for following my Pintern journey!!