This Teen Had No STEM Experience - Now She's Researching Astrobiology & Cancer.

Siyeon didn’t come from a long line of scientists. In fact, STEM wasn’t even her strong suit growing up—her elementary school report cards said she was “below average” in science and math.

But by senior year, she had turned a literature review on algae in space into a full-fledged astrobiology experiment, partnered with a university lab, and was living solo in Chicago researching how smoking alters gene expression.

Here’s how she got there—and what she learned along the way.

#1: You conducted research about astrobiology - specifically, the uses of algae in space. That’s a super niche topic. How did you get there?

Siyeon: I actually had no background in research whatsoever. I was always a humanities-based kid who fully believed I was going to be a historian or an English major.

But I had a fantastic biology teacher who introduced me to student research. She specifically had been attending an astrobiology conference for some time now. She told me that there were students who present, do pitches, and presentations. She encouraged me to look into it, and that’s sorta where it all started.

#2: Break down astrobiology and your research down for us!

Siyeon: When you break up the word astrobiology, it becomes a lot more approachable. “Astro” means looking at the conditions beyond Earth and our solar system. As a kid, I was always very interested in life beyond Earth and what it looked like through films, books, series, etc. So that childhood curiosity was the first thing that pushed me to look into astrobiology. Biology of course is looking at the future of life - so astrobiology is the future of life on Earth and potentially elsewhere in space.

So I started doing a mini research project looking at how algae could be used in space. I started off doing a lot of literature reviews - which literally means looking online, reading papers and other research journals.

Then I found out about specific problems that the ISS (International Space Station), NASA, and so many other private entrepreneurial space agencies were looking at. A big question was “how do we keep water non-contaminated and maintain the health of astronauts aboard these big spacecrafts?”

Those two interests merged organically into my research. I was curious:

#3: You were 15, 16 years old at the time. How did you even start researching & eventually end up at a lab?

Siyeon: First I set out to have a really strong foundation & understanding of what was already being researched. If you have a more solid research question, solid plan, it’s a lot easier to build up from there to actually get an accurate study.

After I had my research direction, I set out to find a lab. I didn’t go to a big, technical STEM school where kids are constantly being paired with mentors, local labs, or universities.

Very lowkey, non-professional. At the time we didn’t have anything to simulate zero to low gravity situations. So I began by investigating very simple things like: “Can this algae even survive in a temperature like this? What about this level of oxygen, or quality of air?”

After that, I sought out to find a lab to dive deeper into my work. We toured a local university and spoke with a few labs, mentors, and grad students. I asked some of them, “What are you researching?”

From there, I went all out on my research. I ended up presenting my findings at an astrobiology conference my biology teacher initially suggested and I ended up receiving MIT funding for my project.

#4: What’s the biggest challenge to conducting research at your age?

Siyeon: The big problem is obviously funding. I got really lucky. The lab I found was already culturing a lot of the samples I needed so I didn’t have to worry about that.

There was a time when I realized, “I don’t think this is the most accurate machine I could be using.”

But then you look online, you try to find other equipment and it’s always way beyond your price range (or anything a high school student could realistically afford.)

That’s where I started applying for grants and other programs to find the money to have all this research be performed. So yeah, you definitely have to be very self-motivating to find the resources you need for research.

#5: After starting your own project, you became a trainee, mentee, and intern under Dr. Brandon Pierce at the University of Chicago. Tell us how you got there!

Siyeon: So I was finishing up the final phases of my astro-biological experiments. I was still very interested in the anti-cancer effects qualities of algae.

It was kind of tangential at the moment because it’s really hard as a high-schooler to deal with anti-cancer toxins - but I wanted to explore. Starting October of my junior year, I knew I wanted to do an internship for the summer summer.

I did googling for months and weeks to find the right fit. One of the things that popped up was UChicago’s program. They did a lot of youth involvement activities and had the perfect program which got high schoolers involved in cancer research.

I said, “perfect.” And I decided to move to Chicago all alone.

I told my mom, “I got into the program - it’s super feasible and I am going to work hard so I can pay the rent.”

I already had an apartment in mind I wanted to seek out. I made it a goal to learn how to cook, commute, clean, and all the things you need to live in your own apartment. So my mom let me move to Chicago - and now it’s my second summer living alone and doing a 9-5 at UChicago’s lab.

A lot of people have asked for my “secret” to find the best research opportunity.

I’ve always said if you really want to do something and are so passionate about it, then weeks and months of preparation really just fly by. I just had to sit down, be patient, and keep looking for something that really fit my interests.

#6: After having these experiences, what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned about yourself?

Siyeon: Again, no one in my immediate family has a medical degree or does STEM-based research. It took a lot of ground up building and failing multiple times to end up where I am now.

I think for me, my biggest lesson was realizing that I had to accept being imperfect. It’s very hard when you’re a first generation immigrant and the only Asian person in the classroom. You always have to feel like you have to be perfect - and then you bump into these research settings where things don’t go planned at all.

But over time, I’m slowly ironing those issues out and trying to find myself in the process.

Another lesson I’ve learned is how important it is to have a good mentor. Having someone in your lab or classroom who supports you consistently until you’re ready to work independently can be truly life-changing.

I think I didn’t have a lot of trust in other people from elementary to middle school. But when I started to lean on other people more in high school, things started to pick up. That’s when I realized I was being more efficient & productive because I had these trust & support systems that I really cared about.

#7: Loads of students want research opportunities. What advice would you give them to find the right opportunities?

Siyeon: I wasn’t even aware of any of the big name opportunities, like ISEF and junior innovation challenges in the high school space until my senior year of high school.

First, don’t feel like you’re expected or pressured to do anything. If you genuinely want to do research, then things will come up organically. Because if you care about something, that will come with time.

The second piece is obviously a lot of patience. I didn’t know I needed access to all the equipment that I ended up using. I didn’t even know what the stepping stone to the next thing was.

Also be very open-minded. Don’t think, “Oh, I heard this person’s doing cancer research” or “I heard this kind of research is very lucrative and promising.”

Do what feels right to you. You’ll find papers much more enjoyable, you’ll find people easier to connect with, and that is such a special experience.

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