Eric Wang (front row, far left) blends medicine with melody as part of the student a cappella group Something Borrowed Something Blue. (Photo courtesy Eric Wang)
When Research Hits the Right Notes
Stepping on campus, Eric Wang knew he wanted to pursue a track of study connected to research and medicine. Initially leaning toward a Chemistry or Biology major, that trajectory changed his sophomore year — thanks to Bass Connections.
“Before joining the Language, Music and Dementia project team, I only saw music as an artistic endeavor and didn’t realize that it could literally shape the physical structure and functional networks of the brain,” the senior confesses. “That was my ‘aha moment’ and the point when I knew the path I wanted to take, and I’m so grateful to Edna Andrews for believing in me because she has truly helped me find an interest that I wouldn’t have discovered anywhere else.”
Along with a strong foundation in science, Wang brought a deep love of music with him to Duke. Trained in classical piano since childhood, he understood that neuroscience alone wouldn’t capture the full scope of what he hoped to explore. To incorporate both passions, he landed on an Interdepartmental Major (IDM) in Neuroscience and Music a day before the declaration deadline, and he’s never looked back.
Wang is also part of the Wood Lab with the Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, where he draws inspiration from both the research and his mentor, Michael Aiduk. “The research is so meaningful to me, and everyone at the lab has supported me from the very start of my undergrad,” he shares. “Committing to one lab throughout my time at Duke has been really important for my growth — and I truly hope that our work studying CIC-DUX4 sarcoma will help patients one day.”
While his exact specialty isn’t set, Wang is on the pre-med track with other ambitions of a career in audiology, combining his interests in science and sound.
As he begins his final semester at Duke, we sat down with Wang to learn how the arts and humanities have contributed to his undergraduate experience, how music studies became more meaningful than he anticipated and what advice he might have for students who want to include the arts in their individual paths at Duke.
How have your arts and humanities courses contributed to your education at Duke?
My music courses taught me that ambiguity isn’t a flaw — it’s part of the process. I first saw my arts and humanities classes as only fulfilling course requirements, but as a senior looking back, I understand how much they helped me engage with the nuances and uncertainties that are inherent in science and medicine. While my science prerequisite courses focused on foundational rules and principles, the important building blocks, doing actual research has shown me how much creativity, variation and interpretation is involved in scientific work.
Even the most controlled in-vitro experiments can unfold in unexpected ways, and medicine is so complex because you’re caring for people with such diverse backgrounds and experiences. Likewise, music is something that often truly has no boundaries, and it is up to you to explore and grapple with how you interpret and perform your own music.
Have your music classes taken on a bigger role in your academic life?
Originally, I thought I’d just continue studying classical piano since that has always been such a huge part of my life. I assumed my Music IDM would center around performance, but once here, I quickly found out there were so many paths available.
My courses in chamber music were familiar to me, but I’ve been able to step outside of my comfort zone by studying pop music, other contemporary music forms and even music composition. I’ve explored service-learning courses that let me play piano at the Durham VA Health Care System and Duke Children’s Hospital — where my repertoire has grown to include Disney songs.
And my comfort zone really stretched into an entirely different zip code my junior year when I joined the student a cappella group Something Borrowed Something Blue (SBSB). With no prior singing experience, except alone in my car, they’ve welcomed me with open arms and open hearts.
SBSB has enabled me to explore all my faith and love for music in so many new ways. Everyone here is so incredibly talented yet kind, and they are like a second family to me. These layers and perspectives have motivated me to keep exploring music from every angle.
What do you tell your peers who want to incorporate some form of the arts into their studies at Duke?
If they want to take an arts-related class that looks even remotely interesting, they should go for it! There are so many layers to the arts at Duke, both in and outside of class. I’d encourage students to explore all the options available — because it’s done wonders for me.
