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Dispatches from the Field:
Hospitality and Research
By Michelle Di Fiore
July 16, 2007
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| Michelle Di Fiore, first on the left, and her classmates enroute to Australia. |
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This summer, instead of filling my suitcases with swimsuits, towels and sunglasses, I stuffed it full of scarves, jackets and socks. Then I took an 18-hour flight across the Pacific Ocean to Melbourne, Australia, with four other UCSD students.
We embarked on a nine-week research program called the Pacific Rim Undergraduate Experiences, or PRIME, which sends students to Pacific Rim countries such as China and Australia. While abroad, students do research that ranges from creating models of the heart to improving algorithms of gene expression patterns. My fellow students and I look forward to a unique adventure, which will combine culture and research.
When we landed in Australia, dark rain clouds and streets filled with umbrellas awaited us. We took off our sandals and put on our shoes and jackets to shield ourselves from the cold. The weather was not the only thing we had to get accustomed to. The 18-hour time difference from the West Coast meant our sleeping schedules had to take a 180 degree turn. However, this was an easy task in the warm beds of the Hotel Claremont in Melbourne.
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| Di Fiore in front of the 88-story Eureka tower in Melbourne. |
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The three-story Victorian guest house provides us with dorm-style living accommodations, which bring back memories of our freshman year at UCSD. Located in the trendy suburb of South Yarra, and not too far away from a train station, our small room, equipped with a mini fridge and TV, will become our home for the next nine weeks. The friendly staff and home-cooked breakfast helped make the transition smooth. The staff often smiles and tells us “no worries” -- and that makes us comfortable in our new surroundings. This well-known cheerful hospitality is what drew me to the “Down Under.” This is the only place in the world where people call you “mate.”
Meanwhile, through the PRIME program, I have been given a chance to live in this atmosphere while conducting research. My project involves three computer programs, which calculate the properties of organic molecules and proteins used in drugs. Learning more information about these molecules can lead to advancements in drug research. I plan to become a doctor. So this opportunity to be a part of advancing medicine gave me the courage to pack my suitcases and start on this project.
This one-of-a-kind program will allow me to see how Australian culture and personality play into the research process. As my first research experience, I am eager to see how I can do my work as part of an international project. I am also eager to bring the techniques I will learn back to the United States.
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Di Fiore studies at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. |
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