CBS students go international

This summer Christine Oldenkamp (pictured above), a junior in CBS majoring in biology with a Spanish minor, is embarking on a whirlwind, globetrotting adventure to South Korea and Spain. Read her blog as she tries to speak Korean, learns more Spanish, and has an amazing adventure along the way!

http://www.becominginternational.blogspot.com/

Helping patients understand the ACTGs of genetic testing

CBS graduate Amy Swanson combines her background in genetics with a passion for helping people!

Scientists finished sequencing the human genome in 2003, the same year that Amy Swanson,who completed her graduate degree in the Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology and Genetics with an emphasis on genetic counseling at the University of Minnesota, began working as a genetic counselor. The trove of data that resulted from the Human Genome Project offers nearly limitless potential to develop genetic tests. Swanson is at the vanguard of what is likely to be a boom in demand for healthcare workers trained to interpret the results and guide patients through the emotional and ethical gauntlet that sometimes follows.

As an undergraduate, Swanson had considered medical school like many of her College of Biological Sciences peers, but decided that committing to so many years of training was not right for her. So she went back to the drawing board. Swanson knew she loved genetics. “It’s science and it’s logical and it makes sense and it’s fascinating,” she says. But after spending time in a research lab as an undergraduate she also knew she wanted to work with people. Genetic counseling offered the best of both worlds. Swanson says, “I get a lot more patient contact than any physician I know. I end up feeling that I am useful to my patients because I can really get to know them.”

Genetic counselors can specialize in a variety of areas from pediatrics to cancer. Swanson counsels patients with high-risk pregnancies at a clinic associated with the University of California, San Francisco. She moved to the Bay Area two years ago after several years at Foedert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee where she set up a genetic counseling program. In her role as a genetic counselor, Swanson looks at a variety of factors from the age of the mother to family history for genetic red flags. “I am fascinated by pregnancy. … It’s amazing to me. I loved learning about reproduction in school—embryology and developmental biology—and then taking it a step further and looking at the ways it doesn’t work out.”

If you are interested in becoming a Genetic Counselor, check out more information about our program at the U of M Graduate Program of Study in Genetic Counseling!

Matters of the Heart

College of Biological Sciences Biochemistry undergraduate Xiaoying Lou was one of only two students at the University to receive a 2010 Goldwater Scholarship, widely considered the most prestigious undergraduate scholarship in the United Stated for students studying the sciences. Read along as Xiaoying Lou talks about her past, present, and future...

On being named a Goldwater Scholar:

It was pretty exciting. It’s a national award, so it was unexpected. Winning the Goldwater affirms my desire to pursue an MD/PhD to become a physician-scientist.

On her interest in heart research:
Before freshman year, I had the opportunity to mentor at the VA Medical Center with Dr. Rosemary Kelly. I got to see a real heart and feel it beating in my hand. I was mesmerized, and I’ve wanted to work with the heart ever since. My current research in Dr. Lincoln Potter’s lab deals indirectly with the heart at the basic science, biochemical level. The project for which I received the Goldwater deals with how molecular inhibitors regulate hormone receptors that control blood pressure. Additionally, my clinical research work in Dr. Donald Dengel’s lab deals with mechanisms of vascular function in heart failure and LVAD patients.

On her future plans:
The heart I observed in the OR wasn’t at all what I expected. It was surrounded by fat. It was weak and beat at an irregular pace. Despite recent advancements in heart surgery, it remains risky, and patient recovery is still a long and difficult process. I realized then that I wanted to do more than directly treat the effects of heart disease. I want to be actively involved in preventing these effects and innovating future therapies and drugs that can be applied clinically. That’s why I want to get an MD/PhD. I aspire to become an academic cardiothoracic surgeon and conduct research at the university level, so I can take a multi-pronged approach in the prevention and treatment of heart disease.

CBS Students running for those who can't

5K Run for Research is an annual event that raises money for research at the U of M. This year's event, on Saturday, April 10th, raised money for the National Mutiple Sclerosis Society. Every year the CBS Student Board organzies and hosts the fundraiser.

"Thanks to all of the runners and volunteers for making the 5k run for research such a great event. We had 193 people participate and raised $3,100.74 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society!" - CBS Student Board

Check out more events and activities that you could participate in as a student at the CBS Student Board website.