by Victoria Pang ‘25
In the small town of Milton, Washington, Eileen Son went to a high school with limited STEM opportunities. She spent time volunteering for various causes throughout her high school career and found her love for helping people. Originally intending to become an architect, she soon realized that pursuing architecture did not fulfill her definition of helping others. So, she pivoted to the field of medicine, believing it would be the way she could help people.
Despite setting her sights on becoming a doctor, which is a path she continues to pursue today, Eileen remained open to exploring other opportunities and career paths. In that process, many of the new friends she met in science classes talked to Eileen about looking for research opportunities. At that time, Eileen didn’t quite understand what people with a Ph.D. behind their name did, and research was something that felt distant to her, but her interest was piqued. “I didn’t know I could do research [at the undergraduate level] and have my own projects,” said Eileen.
Research at UW and Dr. Totah’s Lab
Fast forward to now, Eileen conducts research under Dr. Rheem Totah, a professor in the medicinal chemistry department at UW. Her research consists of studying the protective effects of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) on liver cells and identifying the H2S-dependent protective pathways during cellular stress in liver cells. H2S is an endogenous gas that exists in the body and is regarded as a double-edged sword due to conflicting data that shows its ability to both kill cells and protect them from cell death. From type II diabetes to breast cancer, understanding the effects of H2S on the body would allow for improved treatments for various health conditions.
Eileen’s experiments focus on working with cultured liver cells and require multiple days to complete. She starts her week by consulting with her graduate mentor Taeyoon, who looks over her plans and makes sure she is learning from her research. Then, she spends some time performing mathematical calculations for her experiments in order to determine the correct amount of drug solution to use. With Taeyoon’s guidance, Eileen begins administering various concentrations of drug treatments to the liver cells. To ascertain her results, she performs several different kinds of assays to help measure and confirm cytotoxicity, such as the LDH assay, which measures the amount of the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase in dying cells, and the ROS assay, which in turn measures the amount of harmful reactive oxidative species in the cultured liver cells. After the experiment, she ends the week by analyzing data and summarizing her findings.
While she learned various biochemical techniques such as cell culture maintenance and running Western blots, Eileen notes that the most important things she has learned in the lab aren’t necessarily technical skills, but rather soft skills such as time management, communication and organization.
Research in Clinical Settings
In addition to her work under Dr. Totah, Eileen also conducts research at UW Medicine’s department of otolaryngology (also known as ENT). Rather than running assays and working with cell lines in a laboratory setting, she instead helps conduct experiments using virtual reality, aiming to create therapies to improve sound localization for those with hearing loss. Eileen conducts these experiments in a clinical setting through introducing her research to hard-of-hearing patients and running hearing tests. “It’s interesting to see the difference between basic lab science research and clinical research,” says Eileen. This opportunity has given her the chance to interact with patients in a clinical setting, and as an aspiring medical student, this experience has been invaluable to her.
The Impact of Research on Education and Personal Growth
For Eileen, doing research has allowed her to translate textbook theories and course content into real-life scenarios. Her experiences in large lecture halls felt non-inclusive and shameful, making it hard for her to stay interested in the course content. Being able to apply concepts she learned in class helped her to spark her interest in these topics even further, and learning alongside her research became a passion. Additionally, from peers to mentors, she has also formed indispensable relationships through participating in research. Being able to discuss experimental findings with a welcoming group of researchers has allowed her to grow both as a person and as a researcher, learning different nuances in the pursuit of science and even life in general.
Advice for Aspiring Researchers
For students who are even a little interested in participating in research, Eileen recommends them to try it as early as possible. While having a wealth of theoretical classes can be helpful, she believes that starting early gives time for students to build closer relationships with mentors and allows for a stronger foundation in research. She also recommends attending the Undergraduate Research Symposium if possible, so that they can get an idea of what undergraduate researchers can accomplish and learn to be inquisitive by asking questions to presenters.
“And if you’re ever unsure,” she says, “you can always reach out to people doing undergraduate research and ask about their experiences.”
To learn more about conducting undergraduate research at the University of Washington, explore the Department of Chemistry’s Undergraduate Research page, meet with an undergraduate adviser, visit the UW Office of Undergraduate Research, or reach out to Free Radicals, the undergraduate student club for chemistry and biochemistry majors.