Jackson Lab Trip: An Eye-opening Experience with the Experts

Jackson+Lab+Trip%3A+An+Eye-opening+Experience+with+the+Experts

On April 25, 2017, nine Kent students – Demyan Davydov, Victoria Geh, Catherine Zhou, Anna Su, Madi Baltagulov, Cheryl Chen, June Woo Lim, Lucy Zhang, and Anson Tsang – went on a Biology field trip to the Jackson Laboratory in Farmington, CT with Mr. Klingebiel.

As one of the most famous pioneers in medical research in the US, the Jackson Lab takes the lead in fields such as genetics and genomics and specializes in using laboratory mice to study the functions of cells. Although Kent School has developed a close relationship with JAX since 2014 under the initiative of Mr. Jeremy Sokolnicki, this is the first year for Kent School students to attend the Open House event.

The event started off with a 45-minute reception and poster session in the lobby. The posters were made by high school students with the assistance of a college student who has been working during summer breaks or the school year in the JAX research program. Through programs like this, the Jackson Lab reaches out to high school students in Connecticut to educate them about their research and provide more opportunities for young biologists.

After the poster session, the guests moved to the auditorium where Dr. Sarah Wojiski, the Associate Director of Education at the Jackson Lab, gave the opening remarks and introduced the lab’s history and mission. Following the opening remarks were four scientific sessions given by four scientists, each introducing a particular field within Biology and answering questions posed by students. Full of interactions with the audience, the sessions were very engaging and informative, inspiring everyone to learn and explore more about these topics.

One of the participants, Victoria Geh ’19, remarked: “This trip was very interesting as we were able to meet experts in the biotechnology field and get a live conversation about different topics of research and clinical uses. I really wish I can participate again next year!” Through this deepened connection between Kent School and JAX, students gain access to more resources and are now able to have direct contact with the biologists working actively in their fields.