Sophie Sugar ’18 was a terrified novice when she had her first taste of climbing in Grand Teton National Park as a teenager. Now, she is an expert, having hiked and climbed in over 20 national parks during her time off from school.
Similarly, when your first research opportunity is perinatal summer research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio—ranked #6 in the world for their research in pediatric pulmonology— it can feel like you’re climbing a mountain for the first time.
“Even though I had ropes, it felt like I didn’t have anything to fall back on. I had to trust myself to get up the mountain and just jump into the experience,” said Sugar, a Health Sciences major. “That’s what I did with research. I had no prior experience, and it felt like I was about to start climbing without any safety net. But I had to trust myself and keep moving onward and upward.”
Research was a new challenge, even for Sugar, a recipient of Gettysburg’s distinguished Abraham Lincoln Scholarship, an annual academic merit scholarship. But Sugar called upon her prior academic strengths and experiences to make a smooth transition. Clearly it worked: Sugar will have her research presented at the Experimental Biology conference in Chicago this spring.
Working in the lab
Sugar’s research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital focused on the deficiency of microRNA in preterm infants with chronic lung disease. She worked under Dr. Lynette Rogers, a Principal Investigator in the Center for Perinatal Research at the research institution, to create a mouse model that simulates preemies with lung disease and fibrosis caused by the phenotype of an unhealthy lung. The model also exemplified maternal inflation: a scenario that may arise if a mother had a urinary tract infection or cold during pregnancy.
Sugar and Dr. Rogers were successful in delivering the microRNA back to the mice in order to stabilize the levels of expression and improve lung development. The research determined that microRNA levels can be restored in animals, but now, they will look to apply this same success to infants.
One challenge for Sugar was transitioning to life in the lab and learning about new techniques, like completing a Western Blot to separate and detect specific amino-acid sequences in proteins. “A true sense of accomplishment came over me, since I did [the blot] by myself,” said Sugar. “It was also the first time that all of this seemingly complicated mixing of solutions and chemicals actually came to fruition, and I could see how it applied to the bigger picture of saving lives.”
Sugar did not know what to expect when she first walked through the doors of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, but Dr. Rogers guided Sugar through the entire experience.
“I will be working for [Dr. Rogers] again next summer for my capstone which is awesome,” said Sugar. “She was so great, and I learned so much from her. At first, I was really nervous going into it because it was my first stint with research, but she was a great mentor. We had weekly lab meetings where she would explain and break down everything for me.”
The liberal arts experience
Sugar’s Human Anatomy and Physiology class made the chemistry and biology become more tangible and applicable to her summer research. But she needed to call upon her other skills outside of the sciences in order to advance, which is what Sugar appreciates about the liberal arts curriculum.
“Research or any medical setting involves a lot more than just knowledge of science. I had to do a lot of writing and presenting this summer,” said Sugar. “And I haven’t just taken science classes—I’ve also taken humanities and the arts. I feel as if that is important for research because you need to be able to relate to a bunch of different people across disciplines.”
Outside of the classroom, Sugar attributes her involvement in Greek life and sports with cultivating her people skills. On the lacrosse team, Sugar is a quick-to-the-ball defender who played in eight games during her sophomore season and helped the Bullets capture the Centennial Conference championship. She is also a member of the Delta Gamma sorority.
“I think that I flourish when I am busy. I like staying on my toes,” said Sugar. “It is important that I prioritize and continue to focus on my end goals even if I am tired from a night lab and I have practice the next morning.”
The plan has always been medical school for Sugar, but research is essential to building the résumé. This research would not have been possible without Sophie having taken advantage of all of the opportunities and resources in front of her.
“Everything fell into place because Gettysburg gave me the opportunity to do everything that I wanted to do,” said Sugar. “It’s rare that you find a school that will let you be pre-med, play lacrosse, and join a sorority.”
