Your Research?

[Katatonic]

Do you any of you have links to webpages that describe your research? Or if you don't, would mind giving a short synopsis? I'm just interested in what you're all studying.

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[GWD]

I work in a transplant biology laboratory in the Div. of Transplantation, Dept. of Surgery. My PI is a female transplant surgeon, MD, FACS, and the Chief of Translational Research in the Dept. of Surgery. She's also an associate professor of Molecular Genetics. She focuses mostly on research these days because she started a family, but is still in the clinic 1 day a week.

Our work focuses primarily on the biology of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). MSC have been shown to have both immunomodulatory properties, as well as use in regenerative medicine. However, little in known about how they work mechanistically, just the phenomenology is known. The title of my thesis is "Molecular Characterization of Interferon Treated Mesenchymal Stem Cells." MSC can differentiate into a number of tissues of the mesenchymal linage, as well as have the extremely rare ability to transdifferentiate across germ layers. MSC are of obvious interest in the fields of transplant biology, cell-based therapy, regenerative medicine, and tissue-engineering.

Working with transplant surgeons, we obviously do a TON of in vivo stuff. Lots of OR time with monkeys, pigs, etc, doing transplants and stuff... (we actually have a MD/PhD fellow who is a microsurgeon and can do heart Tx in mice!!!!). We are also one of only 4 labs in the entire country that are qualified to do GLP contracts in nonhuman primates (and 2 of those are in industry), so we get a lot of contracts to do monkey stuff.

50% of my salary is also paid by the Human Islet and Pancreas Transplant Program at the Medical Center. So once every 3 weeks I take call for that. When we procure an organ, I am called in to isolate cells from the organs, a process which is done in a Class 100 clean-room, and takes about 10 hours each isolation. These cells are then used for research, or if they are of high enough quality, they are transplanted into a human patient. That project is currently in phase III clinical trial.

I think that about covers it... but bottom line is, I just do whatever my boss tells me to do

 

[GWD]

Typically you can't get a scientist to STFU about their research..

Katatonic?

Welcome.

 

[Katatonic]

Hey, thank you so much for posting some of the activities you're involved with right now. That sounds incredibly interesting and exhilarating (although I'm sure the day-to-day reality is less so haha). I'm going into Junior year, hoping to start getting some research experience starting next Winter.

Is working with primates as a big of a pain as some people say? I mean, not only the in-lab frustrations, but do you have to deal a lot with people not approving of you using primates for research when you explain your research to people? It's recently come up that those close to me are very against using animals in science, how do you deal with people not approving of the methods you use to achieve something you're proud of?

 

[Lukkie]

but do you have to deal a lot with people not approving of you using primates for research when you explain your research to people? It's recently come up that those close to me are very against using animals in science, how do you deal with people not approving of the methods you use to achieve something you're proud of?

one of the professors here who was conducting primate research (edythe london), her house was bombed by one of those terrorist animal rights organizations (ALF i think).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edythe_D._London

 

[gbwillner]

one of the professors here who was conducting primate research (edythe london), her house was bombed by one of those terrorist animal rights organizations (ALF i think).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edythe_D._London

NO WAY!!!! This guy would NEVER do something like that....

 

[GWD]

Is working with primates as a big of a pain as some people say? I mean, not only the in-lab frustrations, but do you have to deal a lot with people not approving of you using primates for research when you explain your research to people? It's recently come up that those close to me are very against using animals in science, how do you deal with people not approving of the methods you use to achieve something you're proud of?

I don't think so. I actually find it extremely interesting and rewarding. I also enjoy working and spending time with the animals quite a bit. In fact, I find them to be much more entertaining and enjoyable to be around than regular people a lot of the time, which causes me to wonder if i shouldn't switch my MD to DVM.

It is certainly emotionally taxing to deal with at times. For instance, try re-inserting a prolapsed rectum back into a monkey who is herniating himself because you just cooked him with 960 cGy of total body irradiation, and tell me that doesn't take it's toll on you. I have wept on a few occassions.

Overall, I can summon the strength and courage to do it simply because I understand it is absolutely necessary. Let's face it, pre-clinical primate studies are absolutely essential in order to facilitate a smooth transition to the clinic. We can't just go poking, prodding, and dosing people with stuff until we have a thorough understanding of the potential risks and benefits, and to do so would be irresponsible and unethical.

There is a quite a bit of opposition to these things from some. I personally believe most of it is based on ignorance... they simply aren't educated on or fully understand what we do. Interestingly, many people if they were to be honest, would rather we did these sorts of things on some of the more degenerate elements of our society than to do it on animals. Heh. Another thing that has always intrigued me, is that many people are much more comfortable doing this sort of work on monkeys than they are on dogs, even though dogs are massively less-sapient animals than primates. I guess it is because we have become so inculturated with co-habitating with canines, we tend to anthropomorphize them.

In general, most of my friends and acquaintances are pretty OK with what I do. Maybe it has something to do the quality of people I choose to hang around, or maybe the sensitivity and sentience with which I am willing to discuss the issue with others. I don't know. Of course there are lots of crude jokes tossed around in jest from time to time, but in general, I find most people can be reasoned with.

 

[gstrub]

I am doing research on how the hell I am ever getting out of the lab. I have some promising leads but just can't figure out the last step of the pathway.

 

[gbwillner]

I am doing research on how the hell I am ever getting out of the lab. I have some promising leads but just can't figure out the last step of the pathway.

Often times the last step is of the pathway is submitting your sub-standard work to as many journals as possible until one accepts it or kicking dissenters off your committee!

 

[gstrub]

My dissenter is the PI and is chair of Biochemistry. She says only "high impact journals." that is the only impact happening.

 

[Neuronix]

My dissenter is the PI and is chair of Biochemistry. She says only "high impact journals." that is the only impact happening.

And people wonder why I often argue against picking labs with high profile professors on this forum. If a PI only publishes in high impact journals, run.

Good luck gstrub.

 

[bd4727]

And people wonder why I often argue against picking labs with high profile professors on this forum. If a PI only publishes in high impact journals, run.

Good luck gstrub.

I think this is very true and something people don't consider heavily enouigh when they pick labs. IMO, to get out in average time in this kind of lab you have to either get really lucky early or have the type of personality where you can stand up to your PI. One of my PI's is very much like this and if you were a very non-confrontational student he would sit on you for years until your work went into Nature.