My REPU Internship: Lessons from My First Research Experience Abroad

Doing research abroad felt distant, something reserved for people with different backgrounds, better connections, or more resources. Still, I applied to REPU with more hope than certainty, unsure of whether I had been chosen. The application process itself pushed me out of my comfort zone. And through it all, that little voice of doubt kept whispering: “Are you sure you are good enough for this?”

But then came the email, I had been accepted into REPU, and not just on any day, but coincidentally on my birthday. It felt like a gift, an unexpected one. I was excited, but also nervous. My background was in Toxicology, a field not many people knew much about, and I was not sure how it would fit in with the rest of the program.

What happened next, felt like more than coincidence. Many months before, while looking for international places where I could grow as a toxicologist, I had stumbled upon Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. I bookmarked it, thinking it was just a distant dream, but now, thanks to REPU, I was heading there. It all lined up in ways I never expected.

I matched with Luz Saavedra and Brayan Campos as my mentors, two doctoral students already at Duke, who became a key part of my journey and helped me connect with PhD Joel Meyer. He was the PI of a lab studying how environmental contaminants affect mitochondrial health. Joel was incredibly warm and open from the very beginning, excited to welcome me into the lab. It was a topic I knew almost nothing about, but the more I learned, the more fascinating it became.

I was accepted into the Meyer Lab at Duke University, where I spent ten weeks as a Visiting Scholar. I joined a team investigating how environmental contaminants affect mitochondrial health, using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism. The project I worked on explored how inhibiting the Krebs cycle might be linked to dopaminergic neurodegeneration, a key phenomenon in various neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer or Parkinson.

Under the guidance of the PI and mentorship from postdoc PhD Javier Huayta, I was responsible for:

• Preparing C. elegans strains and exposing them to different environmental toxicants.

• Using fluorescence microscopy to assess neuronal morphology and evaluate mitochondrial bioenergetic state and redox status in vivo.

• Analyzing data and interpreting results in the context of mitochondrial dysfunction and neurodegeneration.

It was a complete shift for me, from the language, the methods, and the culture of the country, including how science is conducted in an international setting. What impacted me the most was the level of autonomy I was given; once I mastered the basic techniques, I could plan my own assays, analyze results, and decide on the next steps. I felt treated as a colleague, not just as another undergraduate student.

But not everything went as expected. Some experiments failed more than once. I remember spending hours working on C. elegans strains, only to discover that my fluorescence microscope images were unusable due to a technical error I did not catch in time. At first, I felt frustrated and embarrassed for having lost over 20 hours of work. I doubted myself. I thought maybe I was not good enough to be there.

That is where REPU truly made a difference. I was not alone. I had the constant support of my REPU mentors, Luz and Brayan, who checked in with me week by week. Through their experiences, they helped me understand that mistakes are not failures, they are opportunities to learn and grow. I learned that resilience is the most important trait a scientist can have. And above all, I learned that not having all the answers does no’t make me less, it actually puts me in the perfect place to keep growing.

REPU also gave me tools to grow professionally. I learned how to give effective scientific presentations, how to communicate ideas clearly and with confidence, and how to frame my work for different audiences. Through journal clubs, Research in Progress sessions, and our final seminar presentations and poster sessions, I developed skills I know will stay with me for the rest of my career. Looking at the poster with the result from this internship, I see how far I have come in just ten weeks.

REPU is not just a program that connects you with a lab, it is a powerful chain of support, where everyone extends a hand to the next person, not expecting anything in return, just driven by the genuine desire to see more Peruvians succeed doing what they love: Science.

I came back from Duke not just as a better researcher, but as a more confident person. I now have a clearer vision; I want to dedicate myself to scientific research, and I’m preparing for graduate studies abroad. REPU showed me that I do have a place in global science. And now, my goal is to open more spaces like this for others.

If you are a sponsor or supporter of REPU reading this: thank you. You are not just funding internships, you are changing lives. You’re giving students like me the chance to grow, take on new challenges, and help develop Peru’s scientific potential.

If you are a student and you are reading this, you are probably thinking about whether you should apply to REPU. My advice is just go for it.

It does not matter if you think you do not have the “perfect profile.” Nobody is perfect. REPU is looking for potential. It seeks people who are curious, committed, eager to learn, and ready to go further.

And if you get selected, get ready for one of the most meaningful experiences of your life.

FEATURED AUTHOR: WOLMER ESPINOZA

Wolmer was born and raised in Lima, Peru. He recently earned his Bachelor’s degree in Toxicology from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. His academic and research experience spans environmental toxicology and microbiome science. He is particularly interested in the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to study microbial diversity, the impact of microplastics on ecosystems, and the role of the microbiome in environmental and human health. He is committed to promoting inclusive, open, and collaborative science in Latin America, with the goal of expanding access to research opportunities and fostering a new generation of young scientists.