171 Ashley Ave.
Charleston, SC 29425
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November 2007
Children's Research Institute News Brief
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Bernard L. Maria, MD, MBA
Executive Director
Darby Children's
Research Inst. |
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Inderjit Singh, PhD
Scientific Director
Darby Children's
Research Inst. |
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MSTP students discover the human side of research
2007 MD/PhD Projects
A unique program makes it possible for MUSC MD/PhD students to take what's captivated them during hands-on clinical work, and then apply that knowledge to discoveries in the lab.
"These are our future scientists, the people we're counting on to be the future faculty of medical schools," says Dr. Perry Halushka, director of MUSC's Medical Scientists Training program, or MSTP. "These are young people who want to make a difference. They'll be the ones who will make discoveries and then translate them into therapies and medical improvements."
By combining clinical and research opportunities, the program offers MD/PhD students the chance to become physicians as well as scientists. The NIH-funded program at MUSC is one of about 40 in the country, and is highly competitive. Dr. Halushka says the number of applicants rose 10 percent this year, to 96 for about seven positions.
The curriculum includes basic science courses and clinical rotations, plus graduate education and sufficient time to conduct a significant research project leading to a Ph.D. Students are encouraged to enroll the summer before the first year of medical school; most complete the program in seven to eight years.
"We're encouraged to go to clinic, identify a problem and then address it with our research," explains third year student Amena Smith. "Because we've met patients with the disease and have seen the consequences of the disease, we're able to come into the lab and research something we have a passion for. It's motivating, basically."
Currently the 55 MTSP students at MUSC are investigating issues ranging from aging and cancer, to cardiovascular disease and the neurobiology of addiction.
Eleven are collaborating within the DCRI to tackle child-related diseases. First year student Anthony Leonard is analyzing the expression patterns of the breast cancer resistance protein in human glioblastoma.
"This is the most malignant and deadly brain tumor we've classified," says Leonard. He hopes his research will help clarify the protein's role in enhancing tumor cell resistance, particularly tumor regrowth in children.
DeAnna Baker is also working in the DCRI, researching the removal of sphingosine kinase, one of the sphingolipids, which she believes could lead to a decrease in inflammation related to rheumatoid arthritis.
Relating her medical background to her current research gives her a more concrete perspective on her goal, says Baker.
"The MSTP provides a great infrastructure for research, even before I start work on my PhD," agrees Leonard. "Working in the DCRI puts me within easy access to collaborators, and it's full of investigators who emphasize the importance of translational research."
Third-year student Joe Palatinus is collaborating with researchers in the DCRI to develop an ACTI peptide to increase the rate of diabetic wound healing.
"The program has allowed me to work on the human, animal model and cellular levels," adds Smith. She says her experiences as a medical student Ð such as drawing blood and talking to patients - give her an advantage.
"The nice thing about being both a clinician and a researcher is that you get to see problems up-close, and then you get to take that information and do something about it in the lab."
It's definitely a unique opportunity, agrees Dr. Halushka. "I always remind these students that they're doing research and collaborating on studies that could have an impact on potentially thousands of people."
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