Lexington High School is full of ambitious students seeking to apply their knowledge in places outside the classroom. A popular option for those interested in science is to work at a research lab. 

Senior Jui Bhiwankar first discovered her passion for research after realizing she had an interest in biology and biochemistry. Combined with her parents’ professions in the pharmaceutical industry, Bhiwankar felt a strong drive to pursue the field.

“I was always interested in the pharmaceutical industry, and I’ve always wanted to do research in a lab,” Bhiwankar said. “So I cold-emailed different professors.” 

After reading research papers about renal cancer, Bhiwankar reached out to 20 professors in the Boston area, tailoring each message to their specific field. 

Her persistence paid off. One professor responded and invited her to join a lab, where she began working during the summer after her sophomore year.

As with any other academic endeavor, research comes with its own challenges, particularly for someone engaging in it for the first time. LHS’s BioBuilder Club, which provides members hands-on experience with using biotechnology to solve real-world issues, was established last year. One of its leaders, junior Tanya Jay, expressed some of the challenges she and her team faced last year.

“It was a learning curve to try and figure out how to express our ideas in this way,” she said. “Most of us hadn’t written anything in this formal, research paper format before, but I think with last year’s experience it’s going to be a lot easier this year to express our ideas in a research paper.” 

The growth students are able to experience through their trials is invaluable.

The research was no easy task. Research often pushes students beyond their comfort zones, teaching them new forms of communication, collaboration, and dedication.

“Some days ended at 3 p.m., but others stretched late into the evening as I waited for experiments to finish,” Bhiwankar said. 

Even while facing challenges, Bhiwankar found the experience rewarding. For many, the process of adapting to a professional scientific format becomes just as valuable as the results themselves.

 “It is an arduous process,” Bhiwankar said. “Out of maybe 50 experiments, almost all of them failed. You have to be patient. But even when things don’t work out, you learn from them.” 

Research can also deeply influence a student’s bigger goals for the future.

“I used to want to do clinical medicine,” Jay said. “I thought that was really the way I wanted to go, but now, after I’ve had this experience with research and I’ve really gotten to see what biology can do–what synthetic biology can do–I think I want to be involved in the research aspects of medicine as well.”

For students hoping to get started, Bhiwankar emphasizes persistence and preparation. 

“Cold emailing professors is a really good way to go,” Bhiwankar said. “Search up the professor, and you can read his or her work. That can make a huge difference.” 

As things stand, research has played an important role in many students’ academic journeys 

and will continue to do so for students in the future.

“Push for opportunities, and work with other people who’ve done it before,” added Jay.