For the Love of the Lab

Junior Stephen Lau attended Project SEED – an eight week summer program at Duquesne University.

Project SEED was established in 1968 to help high school students expand their education and career outlook. The program provides opportunities for students to spend a summer conducting hands-on research with a scientist in academic, industry, and government research laboratories. Students receive a fellowship award for their efforts and a chance to receive a SEED college scholarship.

The Pittsburgh Section of the American Chemical Society sponsors several students each summer at Duquesne University, under the direction of Dr. Jennifer Aitken.  Stephen was one of those students! As a result, he had the opportunity to conduct research alongside undergraduate students in the Madura Lab at Duquesne University.

The focus of Stephen’s research was the abstract idea that the binding free energy between a protein and a small molecule is an important quantity in the drug discovery process.

Stephen learned many scientific terms and processes throughout the program. Since he was working with computational science, he also learned how to use different computer programs. At the conclusion of the program, Stephen created a poster for the Undergraduate Research Program Symposium that highlighted his research topic.

“One of my favorable moments I had at Duquesne was during the symposium,” said Stephen. “It was a wonderful time for everyone I met, including myself, to enjoy the progress they made this summer. It was a time where we showed people what we did, learned, and achieved with our research.”

Although the symposium was a great day for Stephen and the other researchers to share their hard work with others, it also signaled the end of the program.

“It was sad to know that it was the last day for the undergraduates,” said Stephen. “I personally don't like saying goodbyes because you know that there's a slim chance of seeing them again. I am going to miss everyone, especially the undergraduates in my lab group.”

“I became good friends with everyone in the Madura Lab and didn't feel like an outsider at all,” Stephen continued. “They always helped me out in any way possible, even if it was simple problem like using an iMac.”

Stephen also had the opportunity to present his research findings to the other participants and Bayer employees at the Celebrating Project SEED event at Bayer.

Stephen would recommend this program to others because it gives students the opportunity to work with real scientists at a college level. The Project SEED students worked on the exact same work as the undergraduate students. According to Stephen, the experience is worth it – especially if students have an interest in a career in a science field.