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For over 30 years, Course 7 (Biology) learners have ventured into the vast, windowless cellar of Building 68 to acquire practical competencies that are central to undergraduate biology training at the Institute. The rows of tables and supply cabinets that constitute the beneath-surface MIT Biology Teaching Lab may easily evoke feelings of gloom and seclusion.
In a corner of this space, however, is Senior Technical Instructor Vanessa Cheung ’02, who manages to transform the area into a bright and shared environment.
“We jest that we could set up a network of mirrors to redirect just enough natural light to bounce down from the stairway,” Cheung remarks with a chuckle. “It is indeed a basement, but I feel incredibly fortunate to have this teaching lab space. It is expansive and equipped with everything we require.”
This positivity and appreciation nurtured by Cheung is essential, as MIT undergraduate learners enrolled in classes 7.002 (Fundamentals of Experimental Molecular Biology) and 7.003 (Applied Molecular Biology Laboratory) dedicate four-hour sessions in the lab each week, mastering the principles of laboratory techniques and theories for biological investigation with Cheung and her associates.
Pursuing science education
Cheung’s passion for biology originated from her high school cross country and track coach, who also happened to be her second-year biology instructor. The sport and the essential biological processes she was discovering in class were indeed closely linked.
“He enlightened us on how things like ATP [adenosine triphosphate] and the energy cycle influenced our running,” she explains. “Recognizing that connection significantly amplified my interest in the subject.”
That motivation propelled her from her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to pursue an undergraduate degree at MIT, followed by her thesis research to achieve a PhD in genetics at Harvard Medical School. She didn’t abandon running either: To this day, she is frequently spotted on the Charles River Esplanade, preparing for her next marathon.
She discovered her affection for teaching during her PhD studies. She relished mentoring students so much that she took an additional semester as a teaching assistant, beyond the one required by her program.
“I enjoy research, but I also genuinely love sharing information about research,” Cheung states.
Cheung herself characterizes lab instruction as the “best of both worlds,” allowing her to indulge in her teaching passion while spending each day at the bench, conducting experiments. She underscores the necessity for students to not only perform hands-on technical lab work but also to grasp the theories that underpin it.
“Students can sometimes get fixated on the execution of tasks — they become quite concerned when their experiments fail,” she notes. “We concentrate on teaching them how to think about being in a lab — how to design an experiment and how to analyze the data.”
Despite her skills in teaching and enthusiasm for science leading her to this position, Cheung openly identifies students as her favorite aspect of the role.
“It may sound cliché, but they truly make the job exhilarating,” she remarks.
Utilizing mind and hands in the lab
Cheung is the kind of individual who radiates joy when speaking about how much she “loves working with yeast.”
“I always inform students that perhaps no one cares about yeast except me and a few others globally, but it is a model organism that we can utilize to relate what we learn to humans,” Cheung clarifies.
While mastering fundamental lab skills can make practical laboratory courses seem “a little manual,” Cheung excites her students with her passion and innovative curriculum design.
“Students appreciate activities where they can achieve their own distinctive outcomes, and where they have some autonomy to craft their own experiments,” she shares. Thus, the lab curriculum includes chances for students to identify their own unique yeast mutants and formulate their own queries to explore in a chemical engineering module.
A component that renders theory as vital as technique is the fact that new tools and discoveries are regularly emerging in biology, especially at MIT. For instance, a transition has occurred from a focus on RNAi to CRISPR as a prominent lab technique in recent times, and Cheung speculates that CRISPR itself may soon become outdated — maintaining students at the forefront of biological research is always a priority for Cheung.
“Vanessa is the heart, soul, and intellect of the biology lab courses here at MIT, embodying ‘mens et manus’ [‘mind and hand’],” states technical lab instructor and Biology Teaching Lab Manager Anthony Fuccione.
Support for every student
Cheung’s aptitude for mentoring and advising students earned her a School of Science Dean’s Education and Advising Award in 2012, yet her focus isn’t limited to MIT undergraduate students.
Indeed, as Cheung asserts, the sooner students can be introduced to science, the better. Alongside her regular responsibilities, Cheung also designs curriculum and instructs in the LEAH Knox Scholars Program. This two-year initiative offers lab experience and mentorship for economically disadvantaged high school students from Boston and Cambridge.
Paloma Sanchez-Jauregui, outreach programs coordinator who collaborates with Cheung on the program, notes that Cheung possesses a remarkable “growth mindset” that students genuinely value.
“Vanessa teaches students that obstacles — like unpredicted PCR results — are integral to the learning process,” Sanchez-Jauregui adds. “Students feel comfortable seeking her assistance for troubleshooting experiments or delving into new topics.”
Cheung’s colleagues report admiration not only for her capabilities but also for her commitment to uplifting those around her. Technical Instructor and collaborator Eric Chu mentions that Cheung “provides a wealth of support to me and others, even those beyond the department, without expecting anything in return.”
Professor of biology and co-director of the Department of Biology undergraduate program Adam Martin states he “rarely needs to worry about what is happening in the teaching lab.” According to Martin, Cheung embodies “flexibility, dedication, hard work, and resilience, all while being kind and supportive to our students. She is a pleasure to collaborate with.”
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