During my gap year in 2021, I worked as a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) fellow in the Epithelial Therapeutics Unit (ETU), a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) lab run by Dr. Ian Myles. The goal of the lab is to investigate how the environment impacts human health through the microbiome, with a specific focus on better understanding and treating skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema. I worked on several projects, such as optimizing topical probiotics to treat atopic dermatitis and using mass spec to evaluate how environmental exposures change the metabolism of both human cells and bacteria. Additionally, I used tissue imaging techniques to look at how skin repairs itself in healthy people versus people with skin disorders. 













Through the experience, I learned laboratory skills, such as how to grow and care for cells and bacteria, run clinical trials involving mice, analyze large amounts of metabolomics data, and more. I also sharpened many developing skills, such as efficiently conducting literature reviews, designing sound experiments, and presenting my research to people of all levels of expertise and areas of interest.
     
In April 2022, I presented a project I was working on at the annual NIH Postbac Poster Day in a virtual format. I have contributed to four publications through the lab, with more on the way.