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Noe Turcios

Noe Turcios

Hometown & current city:

I grew up in Frederick, Md. I currently live in Silver Spring, Md., which is very close to Washington, D.C.

Major:

Laboratory Science Technology, AAS ’09 and Biotechnology, BS ’12

Employer:

National Institute of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD

Job Title:

Biological Laboratory Technician, Postbaccalaureate Cancer Research Training Award (CRTA) fellowship with the Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics. This fellowship is designed to provide recent college graduates an opportunity to spend a year (or two) doing biomedical research with the NIH.

Job responsibilities:

I have several responsibilities in the Cancer Biology and Genetics Lab. One of my main responsibilities is to perform experiments to determine the inhibition constant (Ki) of resiniferation (RTX) binding to CHO-hVR1 by compounds. RTX is more potent for desensitization of the capsaicin pain pathway that causes chronic and inflammatory pain. We study the characterization of the capsaicin receptor TRPV1. The mission of NIH is to eliminate or decrease the amount of suffering and deaths from cancer. My lab group and I are contributing to the mission.

My other responsibilities are to do cell cultures and to take care of the Tissue Culture lab. For cell cultures, I have to maintain cells in order for them to grow and be viable. The cells will be used for the experiments we perform. While I take care of the Tissue Culture lab, I have to make sure that we have enough supplies in the lab for my lab team by restocking and maintaining inventory. I clean the lab including incubators, hoods and microscopes. I love working with tissue cultures!

How my degree from RIT/NTID prepared me for my career:

RIT/NTID helped me to gain knowledge in the science field. I learned so much before entering the science world. The hands-on experiences significantly helped me as well because it helped me become confident by knowing what to do in the lab, following lab safety protocols and using instruments.

Why RIT/NTID was a good fit for me:

RIT/NTID was a great place for me to learn and grow as a person. RIT/NTID helped me to boost my confidence. I was a quiet kid before attending RIT/NTID, but I became socially active as I met many people and made friends who share the same interests as me. I experienced positive personal growth there as well. 

Why I chose RIT/NTID:

I chose RIT/NTID because it offers wonderful programs, especially my major- Biotechnology- and has amazing accessibility for deaf students. I love science, so I want to become a scientist. The Laboratory Science Technology program at NTID and the other programs in the College of Science at RIT are excellent programs that helped me find good career opportunities in the real world. In addition, I wanted to challenge myself to learn in a mainstreamed environment- hearing and deaf students mixed together. I grew up going to a deaf school, so I wanted the experience of being part of a mainstreamed school. I'm glad I chose RIT/NTID because I met many wonderful people including students, faculty and staff.

How I identify myself:

I proudly identify myself as deaf because American Sign Language and Deaf culture are important to me. Without them, I probably wouldn’t have attended RIT/NTID and I wouldn’t be who I am today.

What about my field interests me the most:

Working with tiny living organisms and cells is so amazing because we all are made of cells. Yet tiny living organisms and cells are mysterious, so I want to work with and study them more. My next pursuit is getting my master’s degree or possibly my Ph.D. in microbiology or cell biology.

Barriers I encountered in my education:

Interacting with students in classes or labs who don’t know American Sign Language.

How I overcame those barriers:

Patience is the key to interacting. I am patient and do my best to work through communication barriers by using email, text, pen/paper and sometimes using an interpreter. Patience is the key because it applies to us all in the real world; otherwise we will not be successful.

My advice to others interested in pursuing a career in the science field:

When you enter the real world as you graduate with a degree, it may be difficult to find a job in the science field. There are millions of doors that are open or closed, so keep looking to find an open door. Don’t give up.

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