Major: Human Biology
UCI faculty mentor: Dr. Dawn Lombardo, DO
What advice would you give to your past self when you were just starting your research journey?
If I could go back, I’d tell myself don’t be afraid to ask questions, even if they seem simple; curiosity is your greatest asset. Choose mentors who are supportive and willing to teach. My advice is also to communicate with your faculty advisor as early as you can on your goals for doing research so that both are on the same page. Your faculty advisor is there to be a resource for you but they won’t know what you want to learn from them unless you let them know. I remember when I first started analyzing data using Python and as a Human Biology major, I was not familiar with coding and didn’t know where to begin. But I reached out to my advisors and they were kind enough to Zoom with me to help me out which I am super thankful.
