My PhD Journey in the U.S.

🗳️Voted!

Sunday, May 18

167.6 lbs (from 162.6 lbs on Dec 28) | 🏃🏻 Done (5/6) | ★★★★

Wonderful day. I quickly hit the gym this morning and then went back to the public library I visited last week. Because I have so much lab work and several blog posts to write (I’ve postponed them for almost two weeks 😅), I couldn’t join our cohort picnic. I need to be more diligent on weekdays so I can enjoy a relaxing weekend.

I grabbed Gus’s special sandwich and some poke, then settled in for a straight five-hour study session at the library. Even so, I barely finished the work related only to my rotation. Once I got home, I spent the rest of the day focused on writing my blog. I can’t believe I have less than 20 days until my flash talk and only three weeks left in my rotation. Wow… I need to manage my time more efficiently starting tomorrow. On top of my heavy class load, I still have to decide on a thesis lab and wrap up my rotation project. Many things to do in such a short period. But I don’t want to put myself in the same situation I was in during my previous rotation, when I sacrificed some sleep to get everything done. That was terrible🥲 for my health, and I don’t want to repeat it.

Monday, May 19

169.2 lbs (from 162.6 lbs on Dec 28) | 🏃🏻 Done (1/6) | ★★★★☆

Outside of Work

Having a satisfying Monday is a great kickoff to the week. I hit my highest weight ever (about 76 kg!), and I don’t think my belly has grown that much, so I’m actually kind of satisfied🙂

I attended my usual morning class and then focused on experiments in the afternoon. My first Western blot wasn’t as difficult as I expected, and everyone congratulated me on getting a clean blot, so that made me happy. After lab, I went to the Hub and spent the rest of the day there. Nothing special happened, but I feel great because everything is on track with what I planned. Consistency!

Lab Work

[Biology]

Western blots (GAPDH) for the first in-gel fluorescence experiments
Plate cells for the second in-gel fluorescence experiment

Tuesday, May 20

169.2 lbs (from 162.6 lbs on Dec 28) | 🏃🏻 Done (2/6) | ★★★

Outside of Work

After a morning workout, I tackled a lot of lab work. My cough has worsened since last weekend, so now I’m trying to drink plenty of warm water, get good sleep, and remember to take my medication. I can’t recall doing anything that might have made this worse, so I’m not sure why it isn’t getting better. Actually, when I was preparing for pharmacy school, I had a prolonged cough, and because I neglected it then, it dragged on for a long time. I’ll focus on improving my daily habits as much as possible, but if there’s no progress by the end of this week, I’ll go see a doctor. Tomorrow, I’ll rest to give my body a break.

Lab Work

[Biology]

Treat cells with drug and collect pellet, Perform lysis, Run BCA assay, click reaction, treat SDS

Wednesday, May 21

168.8 lbs (from 162.6 lbs on Dec 28) | 🏃🏻 Rest (2/6) | ★★★★

Outside of Work

I was able to start my experiment around 4 p.m., after morning class, then a group meeting, and haha… another meeting about the LC-MS we use(a technical representative from Waters gave a mini-presentation on LC-MS principles and maintenance). Our lab meeting is led by one of the RAs, who has a great personality. He always greets everyone first. He’s about to start his graduate studies soon, and he told me a lot of useful information about our PI’s pros and cons. After all the meetings, we grabbed a late lunch together where I discussed my concerns about choosing a lab, and he was very helpful.

I quickly finished the lab work (got an interesting result 😄) and then had dinner with a friend. We ate at Dumpling Time near Chase Center, but it didn’t meet the high standard I’ve set from Dumpling Home (my favorite dumpling place in SF so far). The food was just okay. While having dinner, I tried to explain my research interests to my friend, but even in Korean it was really difficult because he doesn’t have any relevant background, so I was not sure how to explain it. I definitely need more practice. I tried comparing the protein to a bowl and the small-molecule drug to a dumpling🥟, but it’s not easy.

Tomorrow I have to talk with the professor in my current rotation, and I feel like this is a crucial moment to decide on a lab. Unfortunately, my cough is still so bad. Thankfully I don’t have a fever, so it’s probably nothing serious, but I’m a bit down that my condition isn’t that improving.

Lab Work

[Biology]

SDS-PAGE, In-gel fluorescence, Transfer
- Wow! labeling with the chloroacetamide probes is much better than with acrylamide. Now we can finally move on to chemoproteomics🙃

Thursday, May 22

169.4 lbs (from 162.6 lbs on Dec 28) | 🏃🏻 Done (3/6) | ★★★★

Outside of Work

I managed to go to the gym and get in a run, even though my cough got so bad afterward (it’s fine while running, but the post‐run coughing is brutal). I’m starting to think I need to switch medications. Today was hectic because I had to meet with the professor right after attending a seminar at 3pm, so I spent the morning making figures. Thankfully, the results came out well, and I now have a clear idea of what to work on next.

At 3 p.m., I attended a rapid‐fire (but very informative, she was a great speaker) seminar in CVRI by Fleur M. Ferguson from UCSD on “Interrogating the Druggable Proteome with Proximity Pharmacology.” Right after the seminar, I met with my professor for over three hours. It was a long meeting, but incredibly valuable. I learned about the lab’s main strengths (two key approaches for defining research topics), what I would be doing if I joined, what I could learn from the group, and potential thesis‐project ideas. We also discussed my own interests, and he gave honest feedback on feasibility and significance. He truly is brilliant, and I feel there’s so much I could learn from him.

He asked whether I planned to join his lab, but I explained that I want to have similar meetings with the professors from my first and second rotations before making a decision. I do feel confident that I’ll have a fulfilling graduate experience wherever I land, but it’s still a big decision and I have a lot to consider. By the time I got home, I was exhausted and went straight to bed.

Lab Work

[Biology]

Ponceau Stain, Western Blot (just before imaging)

Friday, May 23

167.4 lbs (from 162.6 lbs on Dec 28) | 🏃🏻 Done (4/6) | ★★★★☆

Outside of Work

Yesterday’s three-hour meeting was so intense that I didn’t even have the mental energy to reply to the follow-up email. Today, I wasn’t feeling good to do intensitve workout, so I went to the gym and just spent an hour on the stationary bike during which I wrote my thank-you email. I tried to recall everything we discussed and honestly convey what I learned and appreciated from our conversation.

After my morning class, I had lunch with my cohort at Gus’s Community Market (1101 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94158). Their poke and sandwiches are always delicious, nutritionally balanced and affordable. If I could only choose one place to eat, this would be it. We caught up on each other’s lives. Right now, almost everyone is under pressure to lock in the lab they want, so it’s a stressful time. I hope we all end up where we belong.

In the afternoon, I quickly wrapped up my work and met with my mentor to finalize the experiment plan for my last two weeks of this rotation. It feels like a solid schedule, and if everything goes according to plan, I’ll have all the data I need for my flash talk in front of the entire CCB program on June 6. Even though next Monday is a national holiday, I decided to swing by the lab to collect cells.

After work, I took a short nap and then spent time weighing the pros and cons of each potential lab (first, second, and third choices). The current professor just emailed detailed descriptions of possible rotation projects, which really helped me visualize what the next four to five years could look like. It’s such a tough decision.

Lab Work

[Biology]

Western Blot (imaging)
Plates Cells for chemoproteomics experiment

Saturday, May 24

167.6 lbs (from 162.6 lbs on Dec 28) | 🏃🏻 Done (5/6) | ★★★★☆

I worked out with my friend this morning as usual, and I finally decided I couldn’t hesitate any longer. I needed to see a doctor and reevaluate my treatment😓 My cough has been getting worse. It turned out I was only taking a menthol- and benzocaine-based troche, which doesn’t actually stop the cough. it only relieves pain. Some reports also say that long-term use of these troches can lower your cough threshold. I realize now how complacent I was.

After reviewing treatment guidelines, I bought an extended-release combination of dextromethorphan and guaifenesin. Before bed last night, I had severe coughing fits, and this morning the coughing was so bad that I feared something serious might happen. Now that I’ve started the new medication, I hope to recover quickly. I suspect it’s simply a post-viral cough, but just in case it isn’t, I’ve scheduled a primary care appointment for June 2.

Right after my workout, my Korean PhD friends and I gathered and went to the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea to vote in the expatriate election. I had already applied for voting eligibility, and I always want what’s best for our country, so I voted according to my principles. I hope that our country move forward in a rational direction.

After voting, we decided to grab Korean food at Ollei (2127 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109). It was absolutely phenomenal, on par with Moobongri Gukbap for me. We ordered seafood dolsot bibimbap, haemul pajeon, sundubu jjigae, salted mackerel, spicy bulgogi on a hot plate, and ttukbaegi bulgogi. Except for the bulgogi in the stone pot, everything tasted at least 90% like it would in Korea. We refilled our banchan (side dishes) nearly five times (especially the fish cakes☺️yum). We left completely full and incredibly happy. If you’re looking for authentic Korean food in the city, I highly recommend Ollei.

After dinner, we stopped at a café for a bit to catch up. Once I got home, I rested for a while before heading back to the Hub. I replied to all my emails and started preparing for my final presentation in next week’s class. Time flew by. I wasn’t feeling great due to my cough, so I wrapped up around 9 p.m. and went straight to bed. I really hope I feel much better next week.