With curiosity as her compass, Annie Shen ’26 turned a summer opportunity into something much bigger.
When Annie Shen ’26 arrived at the University of Iowa’s hospital campus this summer, she had no idea what to expect. She’d never worked in a lab before. She didn’t know much about temporal epilepsy. And she had never even considered that a high school student might one day present research in front of seasoned clinicians. But by the end of the Secondary Student Training Program, a competitive, five-week experience pairing students with real researchers, Annie had done all of that and more. From early morning hospital meetings to late-night dorm room conversations, she spent her summer immersed in neuropsychology research, gaining not just scientific insight but also personal clarity and confidence.
In the conversation below, Annie shares, in her own words, what she experienced, what she learned, and what advice she has for other students considering a bold academic leap.
1. Which program did you attend this summer, and what kind of work or research did you do?
This summer, I spent 5.5 weeks at the University of Iowa, where I was a part of the Secondary Student Training Program (SSTP). This is an intensive research program every year where students are personally matched to a specific lab and mentor to conduct research in a wide range of interests, from anthropology and mechanical engineering to chemistry and neuroscience.
I was incredibly lucky to be matched with Dr. Daniel Tranel, a universally known American professor and clinical neuropsychologist, and his lab at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. He is the hospital's neurology department director, so not only could I have him as my supervisor to guide me through my project and the world of research, but I could form connections with the entire clinic. This was particularly important for my project, which focused on analyzing correlations between two different pre-operational tests/procedures (the Wada Procedure and the standard Phase I Protocol neuropsychological assessment) for epileptic surgery candidates.
I knew very little about temporal epilepsy going into the hospital, but through meetings with Dr. Kimberly Diah, who is well-versed in the protocols and details of this disorder, I was able to learn so much about this topic, as well as create a research proposal that would help to contribute to this field. In addition, I worked with Dr. Mark Bowren to refine the logistics of my research and to learn about data analysis and presentation using computer software. The closest person that I worked with was Ashby Martin, a Ph.D. student who led me through the entire process. He showed me and my lab partner around the hospital, helped us set up weekly goals, gave us tours around the healthcare domain and datasets, spent hours editing our poster and clinic presentation, and remained a crucial resource for me during the entire program.
Some of my favorite moments at the hospital were our morning meetings twice a week; although they were at 7:30 a.m. — requiring me to be up at 6 a.m. — I was able to listen to the professional clinicians and researchers present on their own projects and case studies. I even had the opportunity to present my own project during my last week and received immense support and amazing feedback that I used to strengthen my final presentation for SSTP's poster fair on the program's last day.
Beyond my lab, the SSTP cohort was phenomenal. It was amazing to meet people from all different backgrounds (there were even some international students from Canada and China!) who all shared the common interest of contributing to the research world. When lab started up, we would give daily updates and stories about our labs and the unique work we were conducting. I heard stories about training pigeons, utilizing lasers to make the iron industry more efficient, programming robots, analyzing fruit fly behavior, and more. Every student had a unique tale to tell, which was something I found magical about the program; you're not going to find anywhere else with such a tight-knit community of high schoolers who are each doing such different but intensive research.
It wasn't all about lab and work, either. We had evening activities daily, from improv to seminar to yoga. Though a bit skeptical at first, everyone ended up having a lot of fun during these activities, and it brought everyone together. In addition, we had free time to roam campus, especially on the weekends; I will never forget our (almost daily) volleyball tournaments, going to the mall together for meals, and playing games in the lounges and the recreational room. There were weekly field trips, from pottery painting and bowling to downtown block parties and even an amusement park! We were all doing hard work, but we really embraced the saying, "work hard, play hard."
2. Why did you choose to do SSTP?
I initially applied for SSTP not this summer, but the summer before. I was intrigued by the personalization of the program to each individual (in that each student is matched to different labs/mentors, and everyone ends up making their own research poster). I didn't have much experience in the realm of research, and I wanted to see what that world was like. I ended up getting waitlisted that summer, but I applied again this past summer and was thrilled to be accepted into a cohort of 43 students from over 1,600 applications.
Neuroscience and psychology have been my main career interests, so I applied for those as my first and second research interests. To my surprise, I was matched with a neuropsychology lab, something that I didn't even know existed in the professional world, much less in a hospital! I am incredibly fortunate to have had this opportunity to work in such an immersive environment; my past self would have never thought I would come out of this program, even more invested in the field of brain sciences.
3. What’s one takeaway — something you learned about yourself, your interests, or your future goals?
I learned that it's okay to not know everything — or anything — at first, because that's what people and resources around you are there for. I went into the hospital on the first day, not knowing what to expect. I had never worked or stepped into a hospital as anyone other than a patient, and I had no idea who anyone was. I was worried but didn't have to be at all — there were people who helped me the entire way through, and when I did have any extra questions, all I had to do was reach out, and I would get the help that I needed.
There were so many people in the hospital who had skillsets beyond their position at the hospital, and so not only did I learn content related to my project's topic, but I learned presentation skills, how to make a succinct spreadsheet, how to write up proposals and emails, and so much more. It was also relieving to see that even those professionals still learn from each other, as well; they don't simply know everything. I often saw people asking each other for feedback, bouncing ideas off each other, and filling in blanks that other people might have.
Going into the future, I'll take this experience to remind myself that we are all a network of individuals who each have unique knowledge bases and skills, and it's okay if there are moments when you feel lost. The most important thing is to look out for opportunities to learn and reach out to people who have the resources and knowledge you need. In return, you can supply them with new insights and perspectives as well!
4. What advice would you give other high school students about making the most of their summers?
I would say be ambitious; looking at some of the program websites, they may seem extremely intimidating and not something that you would call yourself qualified to do. However, giving these opportunities a try will always surprise you and provide you with so much more than what's written on the site or shown on the surface. After all, it's an entire experience, unable to be condensed onto one page of expectations and program details. When you've found yourself something, whether that be a summer program, class, job, or anything else that requires a time commitment, put your all into it.
Try out things that you would never see yourself doing. Meet new people, ones that seem "too qualified" or "too knowledgeable" to interact with you. There's no such thing in a supportive environment, and it only takes one "hello" or email to spark conversations that will not only get you what you're looking for but also give you so much more insight. And — equally, if not more importantly — put yourself out there. You have a lot of skills and knowledge that can bring color to a community, and by sharing your experiences with others, you could answer questions that others couldn't and share perspectives and experiences they hadn't had before.
However, make sure to get the rest you need to call it summer. Sometimes, we could fall too much on the other end and stay too busy and get burnt out when we're supposed to be on break. Even in a rigorous program such as SSTP, there were activities and days purposefully designed to take our minds off our lab work and academic tasks we had on our to-do lists. I had nights where I just talked with my friends and roommate, snacked at midnight, and watched TV shows. We're still humans, so it's crucial to keep that work-life balance in mind, even when you feel like you have so much to do. Find the fun in every day; that's what makes the days count!