Fall 2004
|
|
Fall 2004 |
|
Students partner with hospital in research program By Dale Long A partnership with one of the nation’s leading pediatric research institutions is giving Rose-Hulman students majoring in applied biology, biomedical engineering and chemical engineering an opportunity to help develop genetically-engineered cells and conduct revolutionary stem cell research that could someday save the lives of thousands of infants each year. The undergraduate summer research program at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center provides an environment in which students can develop research laboratory skills, alongside highly qualified researchers, while being involved in projects related to many aspects of genetic cellular engineering. These educational experiences have been so rewarding –- for Rose-Hulman students and CCHMC researchers -- that the program has grown from three to eight interns in its first two years. And, the hospital hopes to continue the program next year. “The experience thus far has been phenomenal,” assessed Dr. David Williams, director of the medical center’s Division of Experimental Hematology and Associate Chariman for Translational Research. “We continue to be impressed with the quality of Rose-Hulman students. They have excellent work ethic and intellect, demonstrating curiosity about all aspects of our research.” Brandi Williams, a senior applied biology student, spent this past summer helping to develop procedures that correct bone marrow cells. This could become a vital component in the gene therapy approach for restoring the immune system of children born with a severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), a rare, fatal disease, which can cause serious infections within the first months of life. Meanwhile, junior biomedical engineering student Joshua Olah contributed to research that is examining the role of a new mutation in genes during leukemia development. Junior chemical engineering major James Voll mastered the principal of DNA cloning to produce small interference genes, which could play a key role in developing future treatments of blood diseases and cancer. “You can study the course of discovery all your life and never truly appreciate the journey until you walk the path yourself,” stated Stefani Vande Lune, a junior applied biology major. “I have read hundreds of pages in textbooks about discoveries and research techniques, but this summer all of those readings came alive and were applicable for the first time . . . This research opportunity has inspired me to gear my last two years at Rose-Hulman toward research-oriented opportunities.” Anna Guy, a junior biomedical engineering student, returned for her second summer internship with researcher James Mulloy. She constructed viral vectors that will be used in projects to knock down the expression of a gene in human stem cell cultures. “The second summer was an even better learning experience than the first,” Guy stated. “The first summer was a novelty, for me, in that the way the Division (of Experimental Hematology) operates. Dr. Mulloy’s experimental techniques and research were all new to me. I certainly appreciate having the second summer of research available for my opportunity to further my research experience.” About this point, David Williams added, “This is an enormously exciting time in biomedical research. Completion of the human genome project promises to change the practice of medicine in the next decade and has opened vast opportunities to better understand the genetic basis of human disease and the impact of the environment on gene function.” Other students participating in the internship program were biomedical engineering graduate student Christopher Meyer (Chem. Eng., ’04) and junior biomedical engineering student Stefanie Powers. Through CCHMC, junior applied biology major Derek Trobaugh participated in the Physician Scientist Training Program Summer Program last summer at the University of Cincinnati Medical School after spending 2003 in Dr. Williams’ lab investigating the structural and functional interactions of two critical proteins. Senior chemical engineering student Crystal Landreth spent the summer of 2003 at the medical research center, which has over 200 clinical and post-doctoral fellows in its laboratories. Each student presented an oral summary report on their project before division staff -- further enhancing the educational experience. “Our applied biology program produces biologists with the chemistry, mathematics and physics background needed to address practical problems in medical research,” states Lee Waite, chair of Rose-Hulman’s Applied Biology and Biomedical Engineering Department. “This internship program gives well prepared and highly motivated students an opportunity to apply their knowledge to real world problems at one of the 10 best pediatric hospitals in the United States.” A brief review the students’
internship experiences, including their presentations, are available
on the Web:
|
