Caduceus Newsletter:
Fall 2001.02, Week of August 20

 è 1. More summer experiences - Part I. Jason Higdon at Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis.
è 2. More summer experiences - Part II. Robert Appling at the University of Tennessee - Memphis.
è 3. More summer experiences - Part III. Analice Hosey at Louisiana State University.
è 4. More summer experiences - Part IV. Eden Basic, well, you'll just have to read where. 
è 5. Review of Mortality Rate, courtesy of Barbara Huntington, PHP Director of SDSU.
è 6. Received this week
è 7. MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Upcoming events.

  Here is a photo of me with my mentor and another POE student (L-R: Gale Jackson, Jian Zuo, PhD, Jason Higdon). I worked in Dr. Zuo's lab in the Dept. of Developmental Neurobiology with the disease Purkinje Cell Degeneration. I mapped the region on mouse chr 13 known to contain the pcd locus. I also began experiments with some candidate genes in this region.

 è 2. More summer experiences - Part II. Robert Appling at the University of Tennessee - Memphis.

  Robert Appling, worked all summer in a neurobiology lab at the University of Tennessee School of Medicine here in downtown Memphis. The goals of our research revolve around learning the effects of depletion of certain neurotransmitter proteins such as Synaptophysin and Acetyl Choline. Also, we are attempting to "regrow" neurons using neurotrophins. 

 L-R: Dr. Paul Herron, Research Director, Nesreen Ismail (CBU c/o '00), LaTonya Turner (summer program from Rust College), and me (The Honorable Robert W. Appling, Esquire)  

è 3. More summer experiences - Part III. Analice Hosey at Louisiana State University.

"How would you rather spend your summer? Sitting at home in Memphis or having the time of your life in Louisiana, the so-called party capital of the south? I chose the latter choice, and so I spent ten weeks at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. The chemistry department offered a summer research program in environmental chemistry. Great, I thought. I was able to walk, talk, and breathe research. Was it a good experience? Well, yes, in more ways than one. Not only did I get to complete my senior research project, but I got PAID to be smart all summer ... not a bad deal. More importantly, though, I was able to experience what life as a grad student would be like, since LSU was originally my #1 pick. When it was all said and done, I had a project entitled, 'Kinetic Modeling Analysis and Low Temperature Pyrolysis Matrix Set-Up for 2,4,6-trichlorophenol as a Dioxin Precursor.' Pretty impressive, huh?

My project was just beginning when I arrived, whereas many projects that colleagues worked on were already established research projects. I was lucky in that I got to see a research project from its initiation. I performed literature searches, and used chemistry-related programs that I had never used before such as CHEMKIN (a combustion package). In free time, we toured chemical companies, attended seminars on faculty research, and studied article after article on dioxins. I probably learned more than I ever wanted to know about dioxins during this ten weeks. (Oh, and I also learned at the beginning of June who easily ALL of Baton Rouge floods ....)

All things considered, it was a good experience. I made my decision on whether graduate school was for me, and whether LSU was for me. Should everyone participate in summer research programs? If possible, yes!!! The application forms are about as bad as college scholarship essays, but in the end, the reward is greater than the pain suffered in the beginning. A tip, though -- if you think research might be a future career for you, check into summer programs at the places you would consider for grad school. It's a great opportunity to experience the school up close and personal. After all, it's better to spend the summer at a school you THOUGHT was perfect, rather than spend four graduate years there in pure agony. "

Analice pouring liquid nitrogen.

The LSU-REU group - Summer 2001

 è 4. More summer experiences - Part IV. Eden Basic, well, you'll just have to read where. 

 "I broke my foot, fell from a tree, and got hit by a car.... is that good enough for the caduceus??? I had one h#$% of a summer."

 è 5. Review of Mortality Rate, courtesy of Barbara Huntington, PHP Director of SDSU.

 Are you reading for fun this summer?--I keep gathering good medical thrillers for our library. I just completed Jack Chases's Mortality Rate. Fourth-year medical student, Mac McCall, has been invited to participate in a special ethics seminar, but something is strange. There is a very high mortality rate for cases presented to the seminar. Then one of the students in the seminar appears to commit suicide. Mac is accused of being paranoid and he may not graduate because he believes there is foul play.---This is only one of a bunch of thrillers in the library. Put down that chemistry book and read the last 20 minutes to half an hour before going to sleep. We hope you will get caught up in the plot and read faster--and that your speed will carry over into the MCAT, DAT, GRE, PCAT, OAT or whatever--

è 6. Received this week.

 Logan Chiropractic College (Chesterfield, MO)

• Catalog 2001-2002 (BTW, the chiropractic profession is the largest provider of complementary and alternative health care in the U.S.)

 è 7. MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Upcoming events.

• Friday, August 24 - 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. - Reception/Social for students & Science faculty. Biology floor hallway.
• Thursday, August 30, 12:30 to 1:30 - Meeting for Biology majors and Preprofessional Health Programs students (i.e. Premed, Predental, Prepharmacy, etc.), S153.