{"id":13122,"date":"2023-05-18T14:50:28","date_gmt":"2023-05-18T18:50:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ptcbio.com\/?p=13122"},"modified":"2024-08-29T15:50:39","modified_gmt":"2024-08-29T19:50:39","slug":"duchennecan-on-a-nasa-mission-with-ethan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ptcbio.com\/posts\/duchennecan-on-a-nasa-mission-with-ethan\/","title":{"rendered":"Ethan Shares His Passion for Astrophysics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ptcbio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/169989999_4309755669051858_93580413563190762_n-1-1024x951.jpg\" alt=\"Ethan Higginbotham\" class=\"wp-image-13123\" width=\"301\" height=\"280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ptcbio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/169989999_4309755669051858_93580413563190762_n-1-1024x951.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ptcbio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/169989999_4309755669051858_93580413563190762_n-1-300x279.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ptcbio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/169989999_4309755669051858_93580413563190762_n-1-768x713.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ptcbio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/169989999_4309755669051858_93580413563190762_n-1-400x371.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.ptcbio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/169989999_4309755669051858_93580413563190762_n-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 301px) 100vw, 301px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"core-block core-paragraph\">Ethan Higginbotham\u2019s passion for astronomy and physics is \u201cout of this world.\u201d His interest in all things outer space influenced him to pursue an internship with NASA, and one day, he hopes to broaden his astrophysics knowledge through completing a physics PhD. Ethan, who describes himself as determined and driven, shows that people living with Duchenne CAN reach their potential with a positive outlook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"core-block core-paragraph\">After discovering his true passion for astrophysics, Ethan immersed himself in the study of physics and mathematics at Wichita State University and joined the Society of Physics Students and the Astronomy Club as treasurer. Despite his condition, Ethan is living his university life to the fullest with the support of home health aid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"core-block core-paragraph\">His undergraduate experience has further fuelled his fascination with space, leading him to seek out additional experience in the field. After securing an impressive 3.6 GPA, Ethan applied for and secured an internhip at NASA. But this was no easy feat! With NASA\u2019s internship program winning the \u201cMost Prestigious Internship Award in 2022\u201d and recognized as 65-times harder to get into than Harvard University, Ethan knew he was going to be up against some serious competition to secure his spot. However, after a thorough application process, Ethan was awarded a place in their 2023 cohort. Ethan\u2019s ongoing research project at NASA focuses on creating a computer model of optomised solid-state batteries, which have huge potential to power the aircrafts of the future. In other words, Ethan uses computer programming to model the inside of a solid-state battery with the goal of making them as efficient and reliable as possible. So far, Ethan has learned about what being a scientist entails and has broadened his presentation and problem-solving skills. Ethan\u2019s determination to succeed in space does not stop there. Following his internship, he has his sights set on a PhD in astrophysics from the University of Kanas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"core-block core-paragraph\">When Ethan is not contributing to remarkable space-related discoveries, he enjoys playing video games, reading books and watching TV and sports. Staying loyal to his university town, Ethan is also a huge fan of of Kansas City Chiefs and KU Jayhawks, and he watches football and basketball to relax and unwind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"core-block core-paragraph\">Growing up, Ethan was surrounded by a loving, close-knit family, which proved to be a great support network following his diagnosis with Duchenne muscular dystrophy at 3 years old. Ethan, who was the second member in his family to be diagnosed, is a great role model for his two younger cousins who also have the condition. Despite juggling a math and physics degree, NASA internship and independent living, Ethan has continued to dedicate his time to his family and the wider Duchenne community, often speaking in his auntie\u2019s dedicated DMD advocacy group, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/finnsfriendsdmd\/?hl=en-gb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">finnsfriends.net<\/a>, and attending camps designed to support and raise awareness for individuals with Duchenne.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"core-block core-paragraph\">A stellar example of not letting your disability define you, Ethan believes his perseverance from living with Duchenne has equipped him with the right skills to succeed in his internship at NASA. So, when asked about his own advice to others with Duchenne, Ethan says, <strong>\u201cAccept things you can\u2019t change and overcome obstacles,\u201d <\/strong>and most importantly, <strong>\u201cFind what you love and keep your mind set on it.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ethan\u2019s passion for astronomy and physics is \u201cout of this world.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16105,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,60],"tags":[],"media-type":[5],"therapeutic-area":[21],"class_list":["post-13122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rare-disease-community","category-rare-journeys"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.5 (Yoast SEO v27.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Ethan Shares His Passion for Astrophysics - 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