For many college students, research is an opportunity to take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to the real world. At American University, students explore their interests beyond class lectures and textbooks by working with professors and participating in hands-on research. For Khanh Pham, a senior studying chemistry and public policy, research has become an opportunity not only to gain experience in a lab, but to also discover her own intellectual interests and future goals.

Finding a Path Into Research

Khanh's path into research began by learning from other students. Her older peers shared their experiences working in labs, which sparked her interest in finding a research opportunity of her own. Khanh also spoke with professors and explored AU's website to learn more about faculty and their areas of specialization. From there, Khanh took the initiative to reach out to professors and ask about opportunities to join their labs, eventually connecting with Dr. Monika Konaklieva.

Inside the Lab

Khanh currently works in Dr. Konaklieva's chemistry lab, which focuses on organic synthesis. Their research involves synthesizing a library of compounds that can act as temporary or reversible activators of an enzyme called LCAT.  LCAT is an enzyme that helps with gathering free cholesterol in your bloodstream and packaging it to be sent to parts of the body for constructing cholesterol-based biological materials such as cell membranes and hormones. Simultaneously, LCAT removes free cholesterol from the bloodstream, promoting healthy blood flow. A lack or absence of LCAT activity, due to a mutation of the enzyme, can cause cardiovascular diseases.

Dr. Konaklieva's team crafts a library of temporary reactivators of this mutated LCAT enzyme. Khanh compared their work to igniting a car engine with a car key. "The car key is the reversible activator which we synthesize and study, the car engine is the LCAT enzyme," Khanh explained.

While the science behind the project is complex, the experience has given Khanh the opportunity to apply chemistry skills learned in the classroom to a hands-on setting. "I’m interested in researching because it's cool," Khanh said. "It's nice to be able to apply the things that you learn in class into practical situations."

The Freedom to Explore

Inside the lab, one of Khanh's favorite parts of the experience has been the freedom to work on such a large research project and figure things out along the way. Individual team members focus on compounds, synthesizing them and running different experiments. Taking charge of work in the lab has been incredibly rewarding for Khanh.

"My favorite part about research is having the autonomy over your project and being self-motivated to work on this project that is yours," Khanh said. "It gives me pride in the ability to perform these tasks well and have results."

Discovering a New Direction

Research has also helped Khanh figure out what she wants to pursue in the future. Through her work and experience in medicinal chemistry, she realized that her interests are more focused on applying science to real-world problems rather than traditional chemistry research.

"I learned that I'm more interested in applied science rather than just hardcore science subjects like chemistry," Khanh said. "Doing research in medicinal chemistry isn't necessarily my interest, but it's confirmed what exactly I'm not interested in."

This experience also helped Khanh realize and think more about her future career. Instead of pursuing chemistry, she’s interested in community work and wants to apply scientific solutions to environmental issues, particularly those that affect communities lacking resources.

More Than a Research Project

Khanh's experience shows that research can offer more than gaining new skills or experience for a future career For Khanh, working in the lab has been a chance to explore something new and figure out what they want to pursue after graduation.

Although medicinal chemistry may not be her future career path, the experience has helped Khanh think about how to connect her different interests in chemistry, public policy, and community work. More than anything, her time in the lab has given her a better idea of what she wants her future to look like and how she hopes to make a difference beyond the classroom.