About the Author
Misael De Los Reyes is a Harvard undergraduate with a concentration in chemistry and global health and health policy. He served as a research assistant in Mexico City as part of the DRCLAS Summer Internship Program, where he contributed to projects on cardiovascular health and the effects of fluoride exposure on children. Misael is passionate about addressing health disparities in underserved communities and hopes to pursue a career in healthcare and research.
Acerca del Autor
Misael De Los Reyes es un estudiante de pregrado con especialización en química y salud global.
Medical Hands-On in Mexico
Every day at the lab was a learning adventure. As a health research assistant at the Ignacio Chávez National Institute of Cardiology, I got to perform real-time PCR—the test that detects viruses—and to conduct advanced techniques like Western Blot, a laboratory method that detects specific proteins in blood or a tissue sample. Under the guidance of my mentor, Dr. Citlalli Osorio, I actively participated in projects addressing crucial cardiovascular health issues during my DRCLAS Summer Internship.
I got to visit the National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition, where I was fortunate to interact with researchers from another lab. Meeting professionals passionate about their work and hearing about the paths they’ve taken in research was truly inspiring. The project focused on kidneys particularly had an impact on me. I had the opportunity to work with mice for the first time—a new experience that broadened my perspectives in my training.
Throughout this internship, I not only deepened my knowledge of lab techniques but also gained a better understanding of what it’s like to work in a research environment in Mexico. My passion for health research, particularly in addressing healthcare inequalities, has intensified. Currently, I focus on studying the effects of fluoride in drinking water and its impact on underserved communities, and this experience has reaffirmed my commitment to using science to positively influence medical practices.
Despite this being my first experience in a research lab and facing the challenge of adapting to a new country and language, I felt supported every step of the way by the incredible lab team. I was surprised to discover the differences in how labs operate in the United States and Mexico; while in the United States, equipment orders typically arrive in a week, in Mexico, they can take months.
This summer not only expanded my scientific knowledge but also prepared me to face the challenges of health research, reaffirming my desire to contribute to global well-being through science.
Una Aventura de Aprendizaje
Por Misael De Los Reyes
Cada día en el laboratorio fue una aventura de aprendizaje. Como asistente de investigación el Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de la Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Méxo(UNAM), tuve la oportunidad de ejecutar PCR—la prueba que detecta virus en tiempo real— hasta realizar técnicas avanzadas como Western Blot, una metodología para identificar proteinas en la sangre o los tejidos. Acompañado de mi mentora la Dra. Citlalli Osorio del instituto, una dependencia del Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez , participé activamente en proyectos que abordaban temas cruciales de salud cardiovascular, durante mi pasantía del verano de DRCLAS.
Pude visitar el Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición, donde tuve la fortuna de interactuar con investigadores de otro laboratorio. Conocer a profesionales apasionados por su trabajo y escuchar sobre los caminos que han tomado en la investigación fue inspirador. En especial, me impactó el proyecto enfocado en los riñones, donde tuve la oportunidad de trabajar con ratones por primera vez, una experiencia que abrió nuevas perspectivas en mi formación.
A lo largo de esta pasantía, no solo profundicé en técnicas de laboratorio, sino que también entendí mejor cómo es trabajar en un entorno de investigación en México. Mi pasión por la investigación en salud, especialmente en cómo abordar las desigualdades en la atención médica, se ha intensificado. Actualmente, me enfoco en estudiar los efectos del fluoruro en el agua potable y su impacto en comunidades desfavorecidas, y esta experiencia ha reafirmado mi compromiso de usar la ciencia para influir positivamente en la práctica médica.
A pesar de ser mi primera experiencia en un laboratorio de investigación y enfrentar el reto de adaptarme a un nuevo país y un idioma diferente, me sentí apoyado en cada paso gracias al increíble equipo del laboratorio. Me sorprendió descubrir las diferencias en cómo operan los laboratorios en los Estados Unidos y México; mientras que en los Estados Unidos los pedidos de equipo suelen llegar en una semana, en México pueden tardar meses.
Este verano no solo expandió mis conocimientos científicos, sino que también me preparó para enfrentar los desafíos de la investigación en salud, reafirmando mi deseo de contribuir al bienestar global a través de la ciencia.
More Student Views
It’s Time For Women
“I believe we are in an exacerbated crisis of non-guarantee of women’s rights throughout the country, with the peculiar characteristic of finding ourselves in a moment of different rhetoric — of it being the time of women — because we now have the first woman president, seventy years after women gained the right to vote in this country,” said my interviewee, an organizer for a women’s rights organization in Oaxaca.
Amazonian Research Trip
Around the halfway point of my doctoral studies, I spent a year living between Boston and Belém in the Amazon region of Brazil to experience firsthand what I had until then been researching from satellite images and other people’s accounts. Belém became my base, from which I made frequent short excursions to surrounding areas to get a feel for life in the region. After that initial experience, I planned deeper immersions that recently brought me back for two longer field trips. This is a brief narrative of one of them.
What Your Naked Bodies Told Me
Twelve actors were seated on a game board, staring intently at us. I entered and took a seat in a chair in the corner. Spectators were scattered across the board, clustered in small groups of five or six around each actor. In front of me on the floor sat actor Daniel Tonsig, who looked deep into our eyes for long, silent seconds.
