Rishit Shaquib, Grace Hopper ‘28
Beyond the Bench: Rishit Shaquib’s Scientific Start at Yale
Written by Sofia Reyes
Edited by Valentina Zhang
Rishit Shaquib, an MCDB major and proud Hopper second year, can usually be caught around campus with his Bow Wow chips and hummus, multiple cups of coffee, and an Abercrombie sweater. However, what many people do not know is that he spends a significant amount of his time every week working in the Ishizuka Lab, using oncolytic virotherapy to target cancer. In high school, Rishit ran his own independent research lab after getting a grant to work on pathogenic bacteria. Upon starting college, he knew immunobiology was where he wanted to continue his previous research journey. “Immunobiology is at the forefront of where we are with biotechnology,” he believes. Now, he is a part time employee in the Ishizuka Lab, working on two separate projects.
The first project focuses on a set of treatments for cancer called oncolytic virotherapy. Rishit explained that because cancer is made of mutated cells, they have a weaker response to viruses and cannot defend against them. Therefore, by giving a patient a weak virus, researchers can target cancer cells specifically. In his second project, Rishit is working on testing mRNA vaccines against the virus that causes a cancer called kaposi sarcoma.
When looking at the various labs and research happening on Yale’s campus, Rishit knew he wanted to join a lab with an emphasis on combining new technologies. Therefore, the Ishizuka Lab was a perfect fit, as they work with many new forefront technologies such as mRNA vaccines and CRISPR. In this environment, Rishit gets what he calls “the best of both worlds” – research that is clinical while still focused on basic sciences.
In his first semester, Rishit took an immunology-focused first year seminar, taught by Professor Kavathas. Through this class, he explored his passion for immunology and, with Professor Kavathas’ help, looked into immunological research labs on Yale’s campus. When asked how others can get involved in research, he advised, “Don’t be afraid to reach out. Professors are really excited to have undergraduates in their lab who are interested in their field.” He explained that cold emailing is not the only way to start conducting research, but that attending Yale events like the Yale Undergraduate Research Conference or reaching out to your current professors can be helpful in finding a lab that fits your interests on campus.
When asked about his principle investigator (PI), Rishit described him as “deeply interested in taking the time to get to know his undergraduates,” even asking Rishit about his scientific pursuits and career aspirations during his first day in the lab. Rishit described the lab culture in the Ishizuka Lab as deeply collaborative, and “like a family.” From inside jokes to fascinating discoveries, Rishit has found himself in a lab spanning all ranges of experience, from undergraduate students, to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Rishit also described his work-week as busy and eventful; Currently, Rishit works around eight to ten hours per week during the school year, and is also planning on working this summer for 40 hours a week.
Besides working in the Ishizuka Lab, Rishit is also involved in many other organizations on campus. He currently works on Epitet, a startup at Yale Medical School focused on business development, is the Finance Director and organizer of the Yale Undergraduate Research Conference (YURC), and works in the Yale admissions office as a recruitment coordinator. Throughout his first year here at Yale, Rishit has had the opportunity to explore Yale’s diverse scientific communities, leaving him with some wisdom he wishes to pass on to future generations of scientifically inclined Yalies. First, he said never be afraid to reach out to professors: “If you don’t get an email back the first time, email back again, be persistent.” He explained that most labs are genuinely interested in having undergraduates, and that there is no reason to be shy. Second, he warned against being overly eager to take the first offer you are given: “Don’t immediately go for the first lab that gives you an offer. Explore whether this research is something that you want to be in. Ask yourself, is this a mentor that will be able to provide for me? It’s okay to bounce around while you figure it out and taking the time – maybe even a semester – to figure it out is important, especially if you want research to be a core part of your 4 years here at Yale.” He explained that working in the lab, things are going to go wrong a lot, and you are going to make countless mistakes. What ultimately matters is how you learn from and tackle them.