Hi all—my name is Emily Kowalski! I am a May 2021 graduate of CALS, having earned a degree in Biology and Society, with a minor in Business for the Life Sciences. I was fortunate enough to have been a member of the Searle Lab from Spring 2019 until my graduation. During my time with the lab, I specifically worked on the AGRIVOLE project alongside Avery Voehl, under Professor Searle (Ithaca, NY) and Joana Paupério (Porto, Portugal). In this position I conducted literary research on olive groves and their preservation in Portugal, as well as developed surveys on vole intrusion within the context of local olive groves for Portuguese olive growers. I really cherished my time as a member of the Searle Lab particularly due to the mentorship that I felt from Professor Searle.
I enjoyed being a part of a truly global project and collaborating with individuals across the world. I was challenged by the scientific papers we read and digested as a lab. I particularly looked forward to our weekly lab meetings, whether they be in Corson Hall, or over Zoom during the height of the pandemic. Each of the skills and lessons that I developed under Professor Searle and in my time at Cornell have shaped my goals and the type of work that I have been able to be a part of since my graduation.
Shortly after leaving Ithaca I moved to Boston to begin my role as a research assistant in the Department of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. I am currently working under Dr. Jeffrey Sparks, a clinical researcher and rheumatologist. Our team’s primary interests include understanding the relationship between lung health and rheumatoid arthritis, COVID-19 and systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs), and immune-related adverse events (IRAEs) in patients initiating immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). In this position, I spend a lot of time in a patient-facing setting where I am able to lead many of the study visits. Our study visits often include measures such as consenting patients, completing blood draws, conducting pulmonary function tests, CT scans, and survey administration. I also examine electronic health records to conduct in-depth chart reviews for retrospective projects. Similar to the Searle Lab, we value team meetings in which each project has a designated day of the week and time for discussion.
In the nearly two years at this position, I have been able to first author a literary review titled “A Roadmap for Investigating Preclinical Autoimmunity Using Patient-Oriented and Epidemiologic Study Designs: Example of Rheumatoid Arthritis”, and have been granted co-authorship on additional papers, both, with translational and clinical scientists at the Brigham, and beyond. I have also valued seeing the cycle of research come full circle: beginning with a hypothesis, moving to grant writing, protocol drafting, institutional review board planning, recruiting patients, conducting visits, collecting and analyzing data, and drawing conclusions- learning is truly lifelong! In the future, I hope to pursue a career in medicine, where I can work in a primarily clinical position.
Outside of work, I really enjoy spending my time outdoors and with other people! I love to ski, and take walks along the Charles River esplanade. Though I am a New Yorker through and through, I can sometimes be caught at Fenway or TD Garden cheering on the local Boston sports teams (or NY teams when they’re in town)! My favorite restaurant in Ithaca is Gola Osteria, and Beacon Hill is my favorite neighborhood in Boston! Fun fact: Boston & Ithaca nearly share the same degree of latitude, differing only by 0.0839°N, or about 5 miles!
