scientist whose daily conversations involved words
like molecular cascades and genetic engineering
was something restricted only to the movies and
fiction novels. There I was seated across my
professor’s desk, staring incredulously at my list of
applications. 'Why settle he says. You belong at
these schools, yes, it will be challenging, but give
yourself the opportunity.'”
Whitney followed her professors advice, signed
the acceptance letter and took her earned spot
at Harvard — one of the most prestigious Ivy
League Universities in the world. But, albeit very
deserving, Whitney recounts the internal turmoil
she suffered that very first year at Harvard...
"The first few years of graduate school was one of
the most challenging, yes-intellectually, but more
so psychologically," she remembers. "I was
But Harvard didn’t! And of course it wouldn’t be
long until the very driven and determined
Whitney shook up and shaped up.
surrounded by some of the best minds in the world,
astute and intellectually groomed for the rigorous
course work that lay ahead. Their confidence was
palpable and only served to remind me of my own
insecurity. Surely, Harvard must have made a
mistake by accepting me."
She immersed herself in the culture of the
school, activated her determination and will to
succeed, modeled the work ethic of her parents
and went on to making her mark in the scientific
community — a significant discovery in the area
of cancer research.
Through her Research at the Toker Lab under
the guidance of Alex Toker, professor of
pathology at Harvard Medical School, Whitney
found that long non-coding RNA (lincRNA) parts
of a genome that do not produce proteins,
actually contributes to the development of
cancer — a prospect scientists had believed for
a long time wasn't the case.
But through Whitney's findings, scientists are
beginning to see the link between lincRNA and
cellular processes.