Straus Scholar Tzipora Einbinder (SCW '28) reflects on her internship conducting research at Hadassah Hospital and learning at Nishmat.
What were the main tasks you undertook during your internship or fellowship?
My internship focused on gaining experience in a biological research setting at Hadassah Hospital, while also acquiring further Torah knowledge through the nightly learning program at Nishmat. In the laboratory, I shadowed researchers throughout their work on cell cultures and mice and then undertook my own responsibilities, including changing serum, splitting cells, freezing cells, defrosting cells, handling mice, and assisting during mice surgery and sacrifice. I also attended student lectures and lab meetings. In the beis, I attended guest shiurim and weekly classes, and began a variety of chavrusas in different areas of interest.
What were your research areas or key work objectives?
My research objectives focused on the connection between sleep apnea and diabetes and cancer growth. We tested this by exposing cells or mice to intermittent hypoxia (IH), which means cycles from lower to regular oxygen in their environments. For the mice, we exposed them to cancer and compared the growth rates of mice in IH to mice in regular air. For the cells, we similarly exposed two groups to IH and regular air, and tested them both for specific proteins relevant to diabetes. In terms of learning, my key objectives were to seek out areas I wanted more exposure to. I focused on halacha b鈥檌yun classes and Gemara to strengthen my skills in those areas and spent chavrusas learning the Siftei Chayim on the period of bein hametzarim and the Netziv on Bereishit.
Which skills did you improve or develop during this experience?
In the lab, I developed many technical skills including working within a sterile environment, using a variety of analytical techniques such as protein extraction and Western blot, and practiced handling mice. I also strengthened my Hebrew skills within the laboratory and outside it, during lectures and personal conversations.
Describe one or two significant discoveries or accomplishments. Were there tasks that surprised or particularly challenged you?
One challenge was the realization that not all experiments are successful, even when the data make it seem like the experiment should yield a specific result. I still remember how disappointed everyone in the room was when we dissected the mice and found similar levels of cancer across both the IH and regular air groups. It doesn鈥檛 prove or disprove the hypothesis necessarily, but it did mean that the last two weeks of injecting and raising the mice had not proven successful. Our failures meant that our successes, however small, felt even greater. The last Western blot that we ran yielded a very significant difference in levels of protein in cells exposed to IH and regular air, which was a great accomplishment to end the internship.
An unlikely discovery was the way that Israelis interact in the workspace. In our lab, the researchers ranged from Haredi to Dati Leumi to Chiloni, and fell across the political spectrum. One of the women would leave every few days for a shift in the army, and one of the men refused to enlist. With no shortage of topics to debate, myself and another Stern girl working with me would often be caught in the middle of a heated argument in the break room. Despite the raised voices and emphatic opinions, the disagreements never extended to personal relationships. The lab was surprisingly tight-knit. Our PI would make sure to bring treats to the lab meeting with the strictest hashgacha. My friend and I explained Shiva Asar B鈥橳ammuz to the graduate student we shadowed. The atmosphere was eye-opening and unexpected.
How did your experience as a Straus Scholar influence or impact your research or work?
My experience as a Straus Scholar taught me to ask questions and stay curious when entering a new environment. There was a wealth of information we heard in the first few days in the lab, especially since there were many different experiments approaching sleep apnea from different angles, and the details required lots of reviewing and discussing in order to truly comprehend the goals and methods of each experiment.
Why do you believe this work is important, and why should other Straus Scholars consider pursuing similar research or internships?
Learning how to approach a problem with a research-oriented mind is an important skill across many areas of study, STEM subjects being only the tip of the iceberg. These are skills and ways of approaching challenges and setbacks that will accompany me throughout many areas of my life.
