Written by Chloe Meyer, Biophysics and Mathematical Physics B.S. Candidate, ; Case Western Reserve University; and participant in the Institute for Public Health Summer Research Program
After six years of passing out, unexplained joint dislocations, and various other symptoms, I was diagnosed with Dysautonomia and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. I had never heard of these conditions, and it pained my 15-year-old self to think I would never be cured and there was little help for me. My health declined rapidly and without reason. I was bed-bound and unable to walk my junior year of high school while all my friends were out playing sports and going to parties. Since becoming disabled at the age of 15, I have raised awareness for rare illnesses and invisible disabilities, fought for disability rights, and been an advocate for myself and others in health care. As a disabled teenager in a world that stigmatizes disability, I never knew anyone I could look up to as my role model.
I knew when I started my undergraduate degree in biophysics, I wanted to change the standards and break down the stigmas around disability. Only 11% of graduate students report any kind of disability, with a small fraction of those being physical disabilities. Furthermore, only 3% of the STEM workforce, 1.3% of PIs (principal investigators of a research lab), and 7.6% of medical students and residents report having a disability.
For reference, approximately one in five people are disabled in America. By providing a research program centered on increasing diversity, the Summer Research Program – RADIANCE Track makes it possible for those like me to show our capabilities and learn valuable skills as a member of an underrepresented group in biomedical research. The RADIANCE program has made my stay at WashU and St Louis completely accessible, making sure I can take advantage of every opportunity here.
Learning how to patch clamp as an undergraduate student in the Sah Lab has opened up so many doors and opportunities for me. When I go back to Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in August, I will be joining the Chakrapani lab in the Pharmacology Department at CWRU School of Medicine. I will continue to build on the skills and knowledge I have learned about in electrophysiology, small molecule inhibitors, and ion channels to apply it to research on Serotonin 5-HT3 receptors, which are ligand-gated ion channels involved in mood regulation. I will attend the 2025 Annual Biophysical Society Meeting using funding from the RADIANCE program, where I will be able to learn from experts in the field of Biophysics, network, and present my research from this summer on small molecule inhibitors. I also plan to apply to the NIH Diversity Supplement that will support my endeavors in research while in undergrad, which I learned about this summer.
This summer has been an unforgettable experience and has solidified my desire for pursuing a career in research. Although navigating the world and a career that I am underrepresented in is difficult, I am thankful for programs like RADIANCE that give me the chance to be involved in activities and experience mentorship to which, as a disabled student, I have never before had access.