Appetizers

Starting with some basics.

Fun Starters

Getting to know the human side.

Main Course

A quick deep dive into the day-to-day job.

Tell us about yourself and your job.

I am Stephanie Wong Su and I am a Research Associate at City of Hope. I am a small part of a large group of people that work hard to help people fight cancer when there is little hope left. To boil it down to one sentence, I am one of the many checkpoints of personalized medicine using CAR-T cells to fight cancer.

How did you end up in your field? What do you like about it?

Honestly, I choose to study Biology on a whim. Then I got into a research lab and kept doing it. Biology is always interesting because it literally means the study of life and it can be about anything from cancer cells to otters.

What does a typical morning look like on the job?

I sit down, turn on my computer and check for emails and reply if necessary. I then look at my outlook calendar and see what samples are coming in for the day (it varies every day).

If I need certain laboratory equipment, I will prepare them in advance for when samples arrive.

Cool, then what does a typical afternoon look like?

Let's say it is a perfect day and all the samples arrive on time.

I head to the biosafety cabinet and begin working with the samples.

If you are a researcher, especially in Biology or Chemistry, it is mostly a waiting game. I wait for my samples to finish spinning down or wait for reactions to happen before I can do anything else.

I will finish processing the samples in a biosafety cabinet by separating the fluid sample, labeling the containers, and then putting it into a freezer for future use.

What types of projects and meetings are you involved in?

My work depends on the samples that come in. If we receive samples from the hospital or manufacturing, we will process and test them.

We have lab meetings Friday to keep everyone informed on what is happening in the lab. We also listen to other lab members present research papers they read to keep us updated on new research.

Who do you collaborate with within meetings and projects?

These meetings are usually informative meetings with many lab members and supervisors to stay updated. For more detailed meetings, we meet with our own immediate supervisors and research mates.

Dessert

Now for some juicy insights in the tea room.

What's the most challenging thing about your job?

Waiting...

I think every researcher knows my pain, because working with biological samples takes time! Whether you are centrifuging, staining, or process a sample, it takes a while and you can’t leave until you are finished.

What are some characteristics that can help someone succeed in your role?

Patience - Biological samples are sensitive and take their time.

Good Fine Motor Skills - Lots of pipetting into small tubes.

Time Management - Science is unpredictable, and if you don't manage your time wisely, you may stay there the entire day.

Organized - We get a lot of samples throughout the day and it is IMPERATIVE to keep track of them during the processing period.

Any advice on how to stand out and get hired for those just starting off?

Be willing to learn and be honest.

If you don't know something, don't hide it. You can learn way more by asking questions.

When I started my research career, I told my principal investigator (PI) that I didn't know a lot. I always asked questions and made it clear when I didn't understand something. I continue to do it today because it shows that I am paying attention and I am willing to learn.

What's something that surprised you about your job?

It is NOT as difficult as I thought it was.

On my first week, I shadowed my coworker and I was so confused. Nothing made sense and there was a lot of jargon being thrown around that I didn't understand.

But now, I understand 90% of what they are talking about. If I don't, I just ask.

Any last thoughts, advice, or recommendations for someone who wants to do what you do?

When I was in college, City of Hope seemed like it was out of my reach. I thought there was no way I could've worked there. I thought that as I was applying too. But now, here I am!

Apply for the job! If you don't think you are good enough or have enough skills, apply anyway.

Don't take yourself out of the game.

Worst comes to worst, you get to practice your interview skills.

Also, keep a good relationship with your research PI! They are the best references for future research jobs.

Drinks

Chat more over coffee or tea?