Hello! My name is Sabrina Petrucci – a 4th year PhD student studying Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Miami. I earned my B.S in Biochemistry and Molecular biology with minors in chemistry and psychology also at the University of Miami.
How I first became interested in STEM and what led me to become a Ph.D. candidate
As cliche as it sounds, I always liked science since I was a kid. As I got older, learning about diseases and more specifically their causes and treatments always fascinated me. However, I first became particularly interested in biochemistry during my senior year of high school while applying for colleges. I knew I liked science and I liked learning about disease but did not really want to pursue medicine – so I had decided on research in order to pursue my own goals of advancing scientific knowledge and learning more about the mechanisms and treatment of disease.
University of Miami had just started to offer a dual-degree B.S-PhD option in biochemistry and molecular biology that was rooted firmly in research, so I decided that I needed to apply. Biochemistry was also an interest because I liked both biology and chemistry and did not want to pass up one over the other. As such, it was a good fit for me.
Upon being accepted into the school and into the dual program, I toured the University and was able to meet a professor in the biochemistry department who took interest in me. Talking with him finalized my interest in joining as a biochemistry major as opposed to other majors (or other schools even). I decided to attend the University of Miami, as it allowed me to still be somewhat close to my family but also far enough to have new experiences.
Obtaining my bachelors was no easy task. My course load was particularly heavy, I strived to hold a part time job, participated in several clubs, and did research outside of courses. Furthermore, I was trying to complete a bachelor’s degree in three years rather than four – so everything was quite streamlined. Despite this I still managed to have a full college experience: finding close friends, exploring new interests, and having so many new fulfilling experiences and memories. Volunteering in research labs during my undergraduate ultimately led me to my current mentor, who I adore. Her research and the research I have been performing was not a topic area I was familiar with or something I thought I would be doing but I developed an interest in it nevertheless.
The road to the Ph.D.
Undertaking a Ph.D. has been an incredibly rewarding experience and a major period of growth for me. Because my research is in biosensor designs and applications, my research is a bit different than say basic research or clinical research. My work takes different scientific concepts and processes and integrates them to work in such a way that allows for them to work in a potentially new setting. My work has led me down a path of a different way of thinking to be able to take these different scientific concepts and integrating them in such a way that functions cohesively to perform a function. What I find the most rewarding about this is the applicability of my work in towards use in real-world situations.
One of the most memorable moments that to me said “I am actually a scientist” was when I attended a major international conference at the end of my first year of my PhD. There I was able to present my research and talk to others with similar research interests. I learned about so many different topics as well. It was eye opening as my first major conference. I even met someone who was doing research like mine and we were able to talk and connect and help each other. Attending conferences and meeting likeminded people is such an important step and exhilarating feeling. It is very important to me to be able to learn new things and learn from others but also to share forth my own information.
Interestingly, my experiences during graduate school have also awakened an interest in science education and mentorship. I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a year in general chemistry laboratory courses as a teacher’s assistant in the Department of Chemistry at our university. Through this opportunity I was able to independently teach a total of 4 different lab sections. I discovered through this that I really enjoyed teaching and communicating with my students and that I wanted to be an inspiration and a guide for them to advance their science or medical careers. I have also had the opportunity to mentor several students and strive to be not just a mentor but a role model and even a friend for the student. My goal is to teach them new skills that they can then use in the future for achieving their own personal goals. I would like to make myself a positive role model for anyone considering taking the path to a STEM career. If possible, I would like my future career to include some type of mentorship, supervision or educational role so that I may help others grow in their scientific endeavors.
What are my next steps towards the future?
I have become more involved during my graduate school career, holding two executive board positions as the secretary of our Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Graduate Student Government and the vice president of our Volume 305 book club. In doing so I have been aiming to build additional social networks and build leadership skills. Being in my fourth year of my PhD, my next career goal would be to finish my dissertation and defend my thesis. From there I want to enter into a postdoctoral fellowship position to gain more skills to add to my repertoire and learn more about a different field of research. My goals upon finishing my degree are to further advance and mature my skill sets but more importantly to learn new things. I always like keep myself learning and I also want to make sure that I can move further into research even more focused on diseases. To me, working in either industry or an academic setting would be perfect for me as long as I am working on a topic I love and enjoy. It might be nice to obtain experience in both an academic setting as well as an industrial setting, as both areas have their own nuances and experiences to provide.
Advice to someone wishing to pursue a career in research
My biggest advice is that no matter what happens – you will still end up at the destination you want to be at no matter what the path you take there brings. All your struggles, successes, and even failures will all shape you and lead you down the path to where you need to be. Do not be afraid of failures or if something does not go precisely as you planned. For mental health, build yourself a support network of people you can depend on.
Additionally, make sure to network and put yourself out there. Even just a small meeting can provide you a potential opportunity for later such as a lab to join or a job to take. Join clubs, attend conferences, view seminars, take courses in interesting topics, etc. Just make sure you are able to learn things that are interesting to you and that you are able to show the world who it is that you are.
If anyone has any questions, feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn!
