Author: Charles Nolan Major: Biochemistry Location: London, UK Program: Frontiers in Human Health, St. George’s University of London Time: Summer 2024
Standing next to my group’s research poster on the final day of the program.
On July 6, 2024, I embarked on the biggest journey of my life. My first overseas flight and my first flight alone – I was equal parts excited and apprehensive. One overnight flight (and a lot of sitting at the airport) later, I stepped off the plane to begin this new month-long journey. Little did I know how much I would grow to love the city over this time.
My month in London could not have gone quicker. I studied at St. George’s University of London, a University and Medical School attached to a fully functional hospital. This feature alone creates a unique environment in the school that causes a real sense of immersion when studying the Frontiers of Human Health. The lectures were a rewarding experience each day, with roughly 20 health professionals taking turns teaching us each day about the advancements at the “Frontiers of Human Health” in their specialty for the first two weeks.
For the second two weeks, the class was split into groups of 8 to conduct guided research under a professor. In this time, my classmates and I researched and presented a poster titled “The Effects of Siglec-F on Alveolar Macrophage Efferocytosis.” Having the opportunity to explore this topic and present our research was both incredible and stressful on the condensed timeline. However, learning to work under time pressure is a valuable skill, and the condensed nature of the program meant there was never a dull day to be had.
In between these densely packed weeks, I spent my first two weekends traveling through the UK and Europe with friends I had made from the program. Spending time in Scotland and Switzerland scratched items off my bucket list that I have wanted since I was a child. The sense of wonder I felt while visiting these countries was more than just the initial amazement you feel when visiting a new place. The history and culture in these places were so rich, with an almost tangible feeling to it. It is hard to put into words the awe I felt when visiting Edinburgh Castle or when hiking in Zürich with a clear view of the Swiss Alps. I have been dreaming of moments like that for as long as I can remember, truly making it a dream come true.
Overall, the day that stood out to me the most from the whole trip was the lecture on cardiology. Heart health is something that fascinates me as somebody involved in athletics, so I was hooked when a sports cardiologist stepped out to speak about his research. Seeing evidence that athlete hearts present similar symptoms to certain cardiac diseases helped me realize just how strange the human body can be at times. The other theme day that stuck with me was genomics. Discussing the ethics of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) genetic testing, such as 23&Me, with an expert on the topic was already a fascinating beginning to the day. From there, we learned how to directly analyze patterns in a genome using free software to identify information that isn’t shared directly by these common DTC tests. This day struck an interest in bioinformatics that I will definitely be investigating further, combining biology and computer science in ways I had never thought to explore.
Honestly, this program helped me remember just how much I love to learn. Every day, I came to morning lecture with genuine excitement to see what the professors that day had to share. Hearing them speak so passionately about their life’s work was truly inspiring, and it helped remind me exactly why I am in school. Eagerness to learn is the greatest gift that a student can have, and this program helped me remember that fact.
When it was finally time for me to leave, I can say that I was genuinely sad to go. I had made some good friends over the month and had come to really love the city. While I was certainly excited to get back to family and friends at home, there is a part of me that still cannot wait until the next time I get the chance to try something similar. This was an experience I will never forget.