I have been interested in the field of science and medicine for as long as I can remember.

During

my junior year, I attended a speaker series with the Westinghouse Honors Science Institute. This opened

my eyes to the many different paths

I had the opportunity to shadow Daniela Volonté- Galbiati, PhD who is a Research Assistant

Professor for the Dept. Pharmacology and Chemical Biology. During my visit, I was able to

see the lab where she preformed cancer research. I really enjoyed the experience of seeing what it would

be like to work in a laboratory.

I became intrigued in the research of alopecia. Alopecia is a frustrating disease because no one

knows what causes it and there is no cure for it yet. There are a few treatment options, but none that

guarantee results. A couple years after my initial diagnosis, I began to receive steroid injections and a

cancer medication (methotrexate) to try and grow back my hair. Within three months, I had new hair

growth. Through this experience one of the greatest lessons that I have learned was to not take things for

granted. There are so many things that are difficult to live without that people do not appreciate until they

have lost them.

This is what sparked my interest in research. I was impressed and developed a great appreciation

for the commitment invested by researchers, for it may take several years to make a small yet critical

advancement. I think about how gratifying it must be to provide a medical breakthrough and all the lives

it could affect.

This summer I had the privilege of shadowing Dr. Joseph English III M.D. who is a professor at

the University of Pittsburgh and Medical Director of UPMC North Hills Dermatology. I have been a

patient of Dr. English for the past four years. As a mentor he has inspired me to study and pursue a career

in the medical field.