DDB Trainees Participate in US-Ireland Student Mobility Program (Summer 2023)

Last summer, UCSB graduate students and NRT Data Driven Biology (DDB) trainees Zsofia Szegletes, Breanna Takacs, and Lauren Washington traveled to Galway, Ireland to participate in a research exchange between Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and National Science Foundation (NSF). As part of the exchange, the three UCSB graduate students engaged in research projects in labs at University of Galway that are members of SFI’s Centre for Research Training in Genomics Data Science.

The National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) US-Ireland Student Mobility Program was started as mutual research exchange for graduate students who participate in a NRT or one of the SFI Centres for Research Training programs. Irish PhD students also visit NRT affiliated labs to gain new research skillsets and engage with the international research community. Muhammed Zain Arifin, a PhD student from University College Dublin, spent several months working with UCSB Bioengineering professors Sid Dey and Ryan Stowers as part of the mobility program.

At UCSB, the Data Driven Biology NRT, led by Prof. Beth Pruitt, offers graduates students with backgrounds in biological sciences and engineering training in data analytics and experimental methods to advance fundamental research questions in quantitative biology and bioengineering. Through coursework and professional development opportunities like the NRT US-Ireland Student Mobility Program, DDB trainees gain the intellectual tools and resources to become adept scientists and researchers in the field of data driven biology.

The research exchange with the CRT in Genomics Data Science labs provided the three DDB trainees additional training so as to augment their skillsets in genomics, machine learning, and computation in an international environment. The long-term goal of the exchange is to accelerate the development of quantitative tools and future international collaborations to aid in research breakthroughs.

For Breanna Takacs, a current 3^rd year BMSE PhD student, the exchange provided crucial insights into her research on neurodevelopment evolution from a genomics, molecular, and epigenetics perspective. Working in Dr. Grace McCormack’s lab at University of Galway, Breanna investigated the development of the Apis mellifera, the Irish honeybee, and its natural selection at the genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic levels. The aim of Breanna’s summer research project was to examine the genetic diversity in the sex-determination allele CSD among Irish honeybee colonies.

In addition to the new computational skills that she gained and will apply to her work in her home lab (the Comparative Genomics & Epigenomics Lab) where she researches with primate in-vitro models, Breanna also participated in field work that included apiary management and honey collection. As she noted, “I had the special opportunity to conduct research on a honeybee subspecies that is native to and only lives in Ireland. It was a humbling experience to contribute to the conservation efforts of an insect that people from diverse backgrounds are dedicated to protecting.”

Current 2^nd year BioE PhD students Zsofia Szegletes and Lauren Washington also found that the exchange was incredibly valuable for their PhD projects and professional development. For Zsofia, who studies epigenetic remodeling in early mammalian development in Prof. Sid Dey’s lab, the ability to focus exclusively for two months on developing computational skill sets was a unique opportunity to strengthen her ability to generate custom scripts and complete programming analyses on genomic data.

During her exchange in Prof. Cathal Seoighe's and Prof. Uri Frank’s labs, Zsofia gained valuable insight into how science is conducted in other cultural spaces. “I was really curious to learn about the research culture in other countries as I’ve only ever conducted research in the US… I think it’s important to do this to gain perspectives about how other countries do research to build a globally collaborative research community and further scientific knowledge,” she said.

Having previously completed a semester-long exchange in Hong Kong as an undergraduate, Zsofia knows firsthand how these cross-cultural exchanges make people more culturally adept and better investigators. In addition to the collaborators she met at University of Galway, Zsofia (and the other trainees) attended a Careers Day in Dublin organized by the Genomics Data Science PhD students. Interested in pursuing a career in biotech, she pointed out that “my experience in Ireland could potentially open up future opportunities to pursue this type of career in Europe if I decide to work there, as some of the people I met in Ireland could be a good network to tap into when I’m job searching.”

Lauren Washington, a PhD Student in the Pruitt lab, was invested in the exchange because she knew it would make her a more globally aware scientist and broaden her exposure to new methodologies and approaches. Lauren’s research, which examines sex differentiation in cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells by looking at RNA sequencing data, was complimented by her experience in Dr. Eva Szegdzi’s lab as she gained new computational analysis tools and received individualized mentorship and training from the group.

With an undergraduate degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering and prior bioinformatics research experience at the Science for Life Laboratory in Stockholm, Sweden, Lauren relies on an interdisciplinary approach to questions in biology. Her prior academic experiences have “taught me the importance of having a holistic approach to problems. This has impacted my trajectory as a scholar and researcher because I always try to keep a human centered approach while applying analytical methodologies in my research,” she says. “After I complete my PhD, I’d like to work in industry or start my own company around early diagnostics in the least invasive way possible. The research experience in Ireland showed me that I can apply my skills to help others in a lot of different applications.”

One thing that surprised the UCSB grad students was how lab meetings differed in Ireland, where they found the meetings to be more informal and less structured. They also appreciated how the physical office set up encouraged a collaborative and collegial environment. Zsofia noted that “…the students in the PhD program all had an office together and a lot of them who didn’t do lab work sat together in an office rather than with members in their lab. They went and had lunch together every day and lived together and were a very close-knit group.  Since the PhD program was spread across multiple universities in Ireland, it was cool that they all knew so many students from around the country. The local students were also very social and would go to trivia nights or get dinner together throughout the week and they were very welcoming in inviting us to all of their outings!”

All three students were able to find the time to explore Irish culture and history, whether it was visiting local Galway pubs, exploring Killarney and Belfast, or learning local slang. As Breanna noted, “I often do not “play tourist” in the US and miss out on the well-known spots in this country thinking, ‘Oh, I’ll go there one day.’ Given my time in Ireland was limited and there was so much to explore, I learned a lot about planning ahead, being present, and really taking advantage of the time that I have which I want to bring back with me.”

When asked what other PhD students should know if they want to do research abroad, Lauren commented, “It’s important to come in open minded and be willing to soak in as much of the experience as you can. Having lived in California my whole life, I knew that I needed to force myself to be uncomfortable so that I can grow. I spent a lot of time within the office and outside of the office talking to people and learning about their lives, traditions, and norms.”

All three UCSB students recommend that anyone who has the opportunity to do a research exchange do it. “Go for it!” Breanna added, “You meet new people and perspectives. You grow as a professional, a scientist, and as a person. It may delay your home research a bit, but you’ll carry these experiences with you throughout your life and you never know what doors it may open.”