Learning to Speak Science: lessons from undergraduate research
By Liz Zhang
Figure 1. The Undergraduate Research Learning Cycle
Hi Carolina Scientific Readers!
As the summer winds down and the countdown to FDOC ‘26 begins, I have been reflecting on my journey in undergraduate research thus far. When I started at UNC this time last year, my perception of research was quite narrow, and I didn’t know where to start. There were a multitude of questions: where to find labs, who to reach out to, how to navigate interviews.
This was a daunting mindset to overcome, fed by the fear that I was in spaces that I didn’t know enough to be in. This summer, I have distilled two major lessons that reframed what research means to me.
1. Read enough to speak on the subject
A pillar of imposter syndrome is the nagging feeling that you do not have the expertise to speak with relevance about a subject. As an undergraduate researcher, we are only at the beginning of our journeys, and are thus not expected to know everything. That leaves the door wide open for us to learn with zeal. We have the opportunity to transform the fear of not speaking eloquently on a subject into motivation to learn independently beyond the lab.
The amazing part about research is that fields are being expanded upon daily. By digging deep into literature via Pubmed, UNC library’s Article+, or any journal that piques your interest, you can trace your ways through protein pathways, experiment developments, or any question you may have.
Decades of discoveries are available to grasp, understand, and inquire about. By doing outside reading, we create a body of knowledge to provide a better foundation on what you’re seeing during your time in the lab. It is fascinating to see the progression of ideas and experiments in the field over time. Later on, these readings will help to support your own questions about what further can be explored!
2. Utilize science communication as a narrative tool
In late July, I attended the GENESIS Symposium, showcasing the work of UNC’s School of Medicine undergraduate summer interns. Research stories spanned psychiatry, botany, public health and more. Each poster was built on previous knowledge, chipping away at unanswered questions. Each presenter became a storyteller, narrating the process of optimizing finicky assays and sharing the pure joy of discovering a piece of an intriguing scientific puzzle.
Though I had little prior knowledge on cancer research, just 10 minutes at AMGEN scholar Raphael Mantovani’s poster taught me about the power of machine learning in developing an algorithm to predict the optimized timing of the second strike in two-strike cancer therapy. Raphael’s clear explanations of the basics of his project broke down the complexities of neural networks and interpretation of results until I was able to understand the “why” of each step taken and what came next. This is the power of strong science communication: for important science discoveries are made accessible for anyone. By continually reworking and translating what we are finding on the front lines, the progress of discovery becomes more transparent for the world to understand.
Research provides us the tools and process to continue telling stories about the natural world around us. Perhaps as undergraduate researchers, there may be times where we must be reminded of the bigger picture. The daily efforts — constantly asking questions, mastering techniques, and strengthening our scientific thinking — will ultimately allow us to write new chapters of science.