Author: Muskan Taori | Major: Bio Chemistry | Semester: Summer 2025
Working with cell cultures in the lab
On my last day in Ireland, I embarked on a 12-kilometer hike on the Howth peninsula, a short train ride away from University College Dublin where I was studying. As I climbed uphill to reach the beautiful views of the Irish sea, I reflected on the last two months that I spent immersed in the scientific and cultural community in Dublin and on all of the incredible lessons I had learned. Even before I came to college, I knew that gaining global experiences would be a priority of mine. Especially as an aspiring scientist, I knew that having a more international understanding of cultures and communication would be invaluable to my future career goals. However, I also knew that gaining research experience was another one of my top priorities so when I found the Arcadia STEM Research Abroad program, I was immediately interested. Through this program, I spent my summer conducting research on prostate cancer treatments at University College Dublin (UCD), gaining skills in both research and scientific communication. While at UCD, my project was focused on researching the effects of two drugs on castrate- resistant prostate cancer, an advanced and incurable form of prostate cancer. As part of the project, I was required to complete a literature review, write a research paper, and present my findings in a poster session. Throughout the experience, I was able to independently conduct experiments and work with graduate students to advance their research projects while learning more about the scientific culture in Ireland and across Europe. Outside of my program, I traveled to within Ireland as well as to Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Netherlands, immersing myself in the unique cultures of each place. Traveling within the island allowed me to experience more of Irish culture that I found in globalized Dublin. Day trips to Galway, Kilkenny, and Belfast gave me a chance to explore the natural and historical beauty of Ireland, but at the same time, exploring the city of Dublin trulyemphasized the social climate of the country. I was able to attend local festivals and visit art museums, learning about history and discovering some of my new favorite artworks. On weekends or after finishing my experiments for the day, I would often travel out to the beautiful Irish beaches and swim in the refreshing Irish sea, an activity repeatedly recommended to me by locals. In both Scotland and the Netherlands, I explored world-class museums and local galleries which taught me so much about the local and global art scene. As a student of art history, these excursions were so valuable to me and my learning even though they were removed from my program. Some standout moments from my summer include taking invigorating sea swims, hiking on beautiful trains, and viewing stunning artworks. My experience in Ireland was one that I will carry with me forever, in both my personal and professional lives; the skills and lessons I learned from my time in the lab will be invaluable to my future scientific career and the connections and experiences I gained from my travels will inform my thoughts and beliefs. For anyone on the fence about studying abroad, I urge you to research different programs because there is a program out there that fits with your academic and personal goals. Also, more than anything, just take a leap of faith because my experience changed my life and I believe that it can do that for anyone