LYNX LIFE LIBRARY

Jessica Valdez: What brought you to CU Denver?

Farah Sanginova: I'm a first-generation college student, so I love the community and opportunities for first-generation students who share experiences and help each other.

Jessica Valdez: That's awesome. How did you choose your major? 

Farah Sanginova: My major is Public Health, on the Pre-Med Track. Being an immigrant and recognizing the disparities that immigrants and refugees face in receiving equitable, accessible healthcare led me to want to become a physician and advocate for experiences of immigrant refugee Americans. Doctor's appointments were always stressful for my family because we didn't know what was expected, and I want to make this experience less traumatizing and help other immigrants feel welcomed and heard.

Jessica Valdez: How would you describe your research to someone not familiar with it?

Farah Sanginova: My research deals with investigation of curriculum of mouse and geonic stem cells—looking at how different metabolic processes and cell metabolism influence gene regulation. This could have implications for different biological processes like development and disease. 

Last year, I did a presentation at the Research and Creative Activities Symposium (RaCAS) on how different vitamins can enhance stem cell pluripotency (the ability of the cell).  It's really crucial in learning about development in the human body fighting cancer. 

Jessica Valdez: So, how did you find your research mentor?

Farah Sanginova: I found the posting on Handshake, and the EURēCA! Advisor, Liz, helped me with my cover letter and resume for research, and I used the tips to modify and apply.

Jessica Valdez: That's awesome, what is your relationship with your mentor like?

Farah Sanginova: Dr. Phiel is really a good teacher. He explains the concepts in a way where you know exactly what he's talking about. He makes research more accessible because he immerses the research assistants in what he's doing. I'm really grateful for his mentorship and that he trusts me to do the projects.

I also had a chance to mentor new students who joined our lab last year. That meant a lot because he's confident that I can not only do it myself, but also teach someone else.

Jessica Valdez: What are some of the challenges that you face in your research?

Farah Sanginova: Confidence issues. I started as a freshman and the learning curve was so steep, but my mentor and people that worked in the lab are amazing. The more confident I get, the faster and the more efficient my results become. 

Moving to the U.S., there is this unspoken expectation to catch up to everyone born here. All I could say my first day was, “Hi, my name is Farrah, and it's my first day,” so public speaking was crazy for me. Experiences like EURēCA! Student Assistants really pushed me towards starting with myself to see change happen. I want to be the person that I wish I had when I was younger, because I didn’t know anyone Central Asian doing research.

I have my nonprofit working with refugee immigrant kids who have just moved here. We don't just provide tutoring, but my goal is to make science more accessible.

Jessica Valdez: You mentioned presenting at RaCAS, do you have any tips for presenting?

Farah Sanginova: Explaining it to my parents helped because I started from the top explaining what it was going to be about. Immersing someone else in all the work you've done really helps to put it all together. 

The kindness that I had from people at RaCAS made me feel less scared of being judged. Go to every EURēCA! planning meeting. They help with your abstract, presenting tips, and posters. You can ask questions from people that have experience with it. Don’t be afraid to ask for help because that's what the sessions are for. One other tip—get to know people around your poster. It helps you practice your elevator pitch in a casual way.

Jessica Valdez: Then the last question for you, what advice do you have for students?

Farah Sanginova: Start with your own reflection of yourself, your experiences, and what you want to do with life. Don’t be afraid to reach out—there are so many positions and mentors. Stay curious, open-minded to research, and be prepared to fail so many times. Dr. Phiel says it's good to fail because we can brainstorm ideas. This makes you more familiar with the research and how everything works to make changes. You need to fail to come to a greater conclusion or result.

Jessica Valdez: That is an awesome way of looking at it. Thank you for taking the time!

Interested in getting involved in research? The EURēCA! Program is here to help! Get started today with an appointment by calling 303-315-400 or coming by Wednesday drop-in hours in LynxConnect.

Want to share your research with the CU Denver Community? Save the Date for RaCAS on April 25, 2025.