0:00 - Rama Aldakhlallah: It was very important for me that I give back to students as a way of thanking my mentors and as a way of, you know, saying that I’m very grateful for the way I have developed as a scientist. 

0:16 - Liam Dacko: Hello and welcome to Stonehill Stories, the official podcast of Stonehill College! I’m your host, Liam Dacko, Class of 2016. For this episode, I enjoyed chatting with Rama Aldakhlallah, Class of 2020. During our conversation, the alumna, who was recently selected for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, talks about leading with impact by using the research and mentorship experience she gained at Stonehill to help create a more just and compassionate world.

0:47 - Liam Dacko: Rama, your journey to where you are now has been quite extraordinary. You were born in Syria, and you immigrated to this country as a teenager. Tell me, what exactly led you to the United States? 

0:59 - Rama Aldakhlallah: There were a lot of things going on back home. There was unrest. It wasn’t safe. You know, the decision to come to the United States was mainly because of my parents and their, I guess, vision to what our lives would be if we had stayed there versus what it would be here. Of course, I, as a teenager, did not see, you know, the vision because I was like, you know, I’m leaving my friends. I’m leaving my home. I’m leaving my, you know, my school. And these are not decisions that are easy, but it was for the best. 

1:35 - Liam Dacko: What was it like adjusting to American culture? What were some of the challenges you faced and how did you surmount those challenges? 

1:42 - Rama Aldakhlallah: Being in high school, as is, is really difficult. It’s a lot of, you know, you got to know yourself. You have…you’re discovering who you are. You’re trying to be social, have friends, keep up with school. So, there is a lot of unknowns going on and adding a layer of being new to the country, adding another layer of cultural differences, adding another layer of languages just made it that much more difficult to get through day to day. I really had no time to do anything but focus on one thing, which is school. 

2:19 - Rama Aldakhlallah: You know, things took me 10 times the time to finish than, you know, a student who’s been there or who grew up here or knows the language. So, I needed to get over that hurdle, which took me a while, took me actually a few years, and it got easier over time. It’s much easier now compared to before. I am, of course, a different person as well, but it definitely was a big challenge and I thought if I could get over that part, I was like, “I can do anything.” But, you know, I worked around it. It took time. I learned a lot of skills. I became a lot more resourceful. 

2:59 - Liam Dacko: And you weren’t here that long before you enrolled at Stonehill College. What ultimately led to your decision to come to this campus? 

3:09 - Rama Aldakhlallah: So, it’s various reasons. You know, every student, I think, evaluates the schools based on the offer, the financial package, the scholarship, the distance. And, you know, I lived on campus during my time at Stonehill, but, you know, I wanted to be close to my parents. At the time, you know, they needed me, and I was going to appointments with them, making phone calls. So, them being close and me being able to go whenever I can was a very important part. And actually, Stonehill was one of the schools I visited with my parents, and they loved it. They loved the campus. They loved how nice people are. Of course, the research opportunity, the faculty were nice. I met them and that’s very important because I actually could see who are these people that are going to be part of my academic journey.

4:06 - Liam Dacko: Now, you mentioned the people of Stonehill being a big draw and faculty mentors. Who were your mentors during your time here and how would you say they impacted you? 

4:16 - Rama Aldakhlallah: I was fortunate to have several incredible mentors at Stonehill, including Professor Hall, Marilena Hall, who was my academic advisor and also research advisor. I started working with Professor Hall very early on. She encouraged me to apply to the S-STEM NSF scholarship at the time, which allowed you to do research right after the first year. And of course, that kind of started my interest in research. And from there, I started doing research every semester and then eventually joined SURE and was part of the program in the summer and also part of the leadership of the program. So, I was able to gain research experience while I was at Stonehill because of Professor Hall. 

5:06 - Rama Aldakhlallah: Of course, I also had mentors that weren’t just academic and research mentors. I also had mentors in the Career Development office. Really, everyone there was super supportive. I gained a lot more skills there about communication and about networking and how to be an effective scientist and a communicator. And you know, honestly, the entire chemistry/biochemistry/biology department. I was lucky enough to work with a lot of incredible people there and meet a lot of people. And they all impacted me in one way or another. So, the list is long, but those are a few of the most prominent ones throughout my time. 

5:52 - Liam Dacko: After you graduated, you eventually transitioned to Boston Children’s Hospital, where you were working in the lab of Dr. Marsha Moses, who is a Stonehill alum and a Stonehill trustee. What was it like having Dr. Moses there to guide you? Did you know her before you started working at Children’s? 

6:11 - Rama Aldakhlallah: Yes. So, I met Dr. Moses during one of her talks at Stonehill College. And that kind of sparked the conversation of an internship during my senior year where I would go once a week, attend the lab meeting, learn a few techniques, talk to other scientists in the field and learn more about just what it is like to be in an academic lab outside of Stonehill, because I wanted a full perspective on a large research institute. And Boston Children’s Hospital was the perfect one to gain that kind of insight. So, after my internship with Dr. Moses, there was an opening for a research assistant position, which I applied for. And being in the lab already, I kind of had an idea of what I like to do and the fact that I was able to get along with everyone. And I loved the lab environment, and everyone was super supportive. So, it was the perfect kind of transition for me. 

7:12 - Rama Aldakhlallah: I did start my job during COVID. So, a lot of it was, you know, in the beginning, was over Zoom. And I would go a few times a week to just maintain, you know, our cells, our lab and the protocols. But, you know, I learned a lot from being a research assistant in terms of what it takes to run a lab. I think COVID allowed us to realize how much it takes to maintain a lab and how much work goes into it. And I don’t think we see it when we’re, you know, just a research assistant working on experiments. You know, we don’t get to see the grant writing phase. We don’t get to see the protocols, which I was luckily able to kind of work on because Dr. Moses allowed me to help out in every aspect of the lab. So, it gave me a lot of confidence. 

8:16 - Liam Dacko: Now, you’ve since left Boston Children’s Hospital to pursue a Ph.D. program in California at the Scripps Research Institute. Can you talk to me a bit about what it was like applying for a Ph.D. program? I’m sure that was a very challenging experience, and you probably learned a lot about yourself during that time. 

8:35 - Rama Aldakhlallah: I think it’s very important for me to acknowledge that applying to grad school was, in part, because of Dr. Moses’ contribution to my education and my, you know, growth. She was a role model, and she trusted me with a lot of significant responsibilities, which gave me confidence in my ability, gave me a lot of technical skills, taught me the importance of being meticulous, working on science with a critical view, unbiased view, and encouraged me to ask big questions about what we were doing. And her mentorship kind of showed me the value of a supportive lab environment and what it is like to be a scientist in an academic lab. So that part is, in part, the reason why I had such a positive view of being a graduate student in junction with my love for science and curiosity and asking these questions and being able to be in an environment where you have ownership over what you do and the success of your project. 

9:44 - Rama Aldakhlallah: So, you are the one who is responsible for your own growth, and I think with the support of, of course, your academic environment. So that is why I started looking into graduate programs, including the Scripps Research Institute, where I am currently at as a graduate student. And that process was not easy as I, you know, had to first look for programs, look for programs that align with my interests. I was, you know…I had an open mind of where I wanted to be. I didn’t have to do the same type of projects. And in fact, I never really worked in the same field throughout my research experience. At Stonehill, it was more genetics and molecular biology. In Dr. Moses’ lab, it was more translational science and biomarkers and cell-based work. And now I’m even more transitioned to non-cancer projects with different types of techniques, different workload, different workflow. So, I had a very open mind about the types of projects. I think what was important for me is the fact that it was a rigorous lab. It was a lab that fostered a good environment that was supportive. Kind of all the things that I loved about my labs that I already joined. 

11:11 - Rama Aldakhlallah: So, I had really good role models. I had really good standards of what a lab should be. And it was because I had such a wonderful experience before. Not to say that it was easy. Not to say that applying to grad school is not easy and it’s a very important decision. I evaluated different paths as well. Nothing really matched my list of standards like an academic lab. So, I spoke with people. I learned more about what it takes, the sacrifices you have to make, the commitments you have to make, and how long the program is because it is a lot of work. But you have to know what you’re signing up for before committing to these kinds of decisions, which was what I was able to do during my time in the Moses Lab. 

12:04 - Liam Dacko: What’s the number one piece of advice you have for other members of the Stonehill community who might be considering Ph.D. programs? 

12:12 - Rama Aldakhlallah: My advice is to start building your research portfolio and seek out mentors who can guide you through the process. This is not a process that you should do alone. I think if you’re thinking about it, you should definitely look into it. You should do your research about research. I think there are a lot of resources out there and it’s important to know what you are signing up for and to just go for it. It’s scary and it’s not an easy decision to make, but it’s a very rewarding one. 

12:49 - Liam Dacko: Amid your work on your Ph.D., you’ve recently been selected for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program. Now, what led you to apply for that and how did you feel when you were selected? 

13:03 - Rama Aldakhlallah: So, the NSF fellowship allows me to focus entirely on my research without worrying about the financial constraints. If you asked me or met me five years ago, I wouldn’t have thought I would be where I am today. I think what led me to apply is accumulative experiences and accumulative months and years of work and building myself, my confidence, trusting that what I am doing is worth funding as well. The NSF GRFP seemed like the perfect opportunity to support my research and solidify my path toward a career in academia. Having spent years building my research experience from Stonehill to Boston Children’s, I felt like that would be the next step to take. So, when I was selected, you know, I was proud of myself. It allows me now to continue research. 

14:03 - Liam Dacko: Part of applying for the NSF grant involves an assessment of the broad impact of your work. What do you hope to achieve through this fellowship? And what would you say is the ultimate goal of the research that this grant will support? 

14:16 - Rama Aldakhlallah: Through this opportunity, I aim to make significant contributions to the fields of molecular and cellular biology and particularly now understanding the gut microenvironments and how we can leverage pharmacological methods to use for therapy to understand the biology. But in the long term, I hope that my findings help develop new therapies, help develop new understandings of the gut health and, you know, body homeostasis. I also wanted to continue mentoring underrepresented students in STEM and encouraging underrepresented students and communities to pursue paths and careers in science and I really hope that I can be a role model to students, if not a supportive voice and have a positive impact on students and aspiring scientists. 

15:26 - Liam Dacko: Well, Rama, I think that’s great. That’s perfectly in line with the mission of Stonehill College to create a more just and compassionate world. Can you talk to me a bit about the journey from mentee to mentor and are there lessons that you maybe learned from your mentors that you want to pass along to the people you’re working with now? 

15:47 - Rama Aldakhlallah: As I develop my personal skills and my personal growth and as I develop as a scientist and also an active member of a community, it has been very important for me that mentorship that I received throughout my years because I really think that I am the way I am and who I am because of the role models I’ve had. You know, during my time at Scripps and Dr. Moses’ lab and Stonehill, I had a lot of failures, not just successes. I was only able to get through these failures because of the supportive mentors I had and allowing me to see a different perspective on a failure and a different perspective on a setback and a problem. 

16:39 - Rama Aldakhlallah: Of course, I took failure a lot more personally, I think, a few years ago than now. These ways of thinking and adjusting the way I approach problems, both on an academic level, research level, and personal level have been, in part, because of the way I’ve seen scientists and my mentors go through it themselves and teach me the perspectives and the benefits of actually having a setback and having a failure. That’s why I think it’s so important for me now that since I gained these types of…these ways of thinking and these ways of approaching my problems and life and even my successes, I hope that I can imprint this type of thinking throughout mentoring other students, other young students. So, it was very important for me that I give back to students as a way of thanking my mentors and as a way of, you know, saying that I’m very grateful for the way I have developed as a scientist. 

17:48 - Liam Dacko: Rama, I think whether our listeners are scientists or not can take a lot away from your journey. You, over the years, have continually found yourself having to push beyond boundaries and step outside your comfort zone. When listeners are in new situations or faced with new challenges, how do you recommend they approach it based on your experiences? 

18:14 - Rama Aldakhlallah: Yeah, that’s a really good question because I think I ask myself that a lot. I have this sticker that says, “Am I even qualified to have imposter syndrome?” It’s like, am I even, should I even be feeling imposter syndrome to begin with? You can have imposter syndrome and still do well and still succeed, not become a hurdle for you. You learn from it, maybe you can control it better, but you know, I think it happens to the best of us. Of course, you’re uncomfortable. Of course, you have to learn new things and of course you have to challenge yourself. That’s why you’re here. If you’re doing the same thing that you’ve been doing, then what’s the point? I think my only advice is be bold, take risks, understanding that failure is part of the journey. Being bold is not just going out and doing the things you want to do but understanding and accepting that risks and learning from setbacks is very important. Speak up, share your ideas, your opinions, share your perspective, trust yourself and be confident and seek out challenges.

19:37 - Liam Dacko: Thank you for listening to Stonehill Stories. This podcast is produced by Jill Goddard and Liam Dacko of Stonehill College’s Office of Communications and Media Relations. Intro theme composed by Associate Professor of Music James Bohn. Outro theme composed by Philip Pereira. Graphic design assistance provided by Colin Spencer. To discover more about Stonehill College, visit our website at Stonehill.edu.