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.