9/10/13 Faculty Spotlight Highlights
The Undergraduate Research Conference, hosted by the NHS Human ScienceDepartment, is an annual event held in April. This year, in an effortto better connect students with the Faculty, we will be hosting aseries of Faculty Spotlights.
The 9/10/13 panel included:
Jan LaRocque, PhD; David Goldsmith,PhD; Rosemary Sokas, MD, MOH - Department ofHuman Science
Peggy Compton, RN, PhD, FAAN; LauraAnderko, PhD, RN - Department ofNursing
Sonia Jacobson: Office of the Georgetown Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program
Student moderators: Faith Svigos, Ola Pietraszkiewicz
Questions:
- How did you get involved in research?
PC began at a methodone clinic.
JL started with acold call to a researcher. She took on a linear, traditional path from Undergraduate research where herlab work evolved into a senior thesis that eventually got published. From there, she moved on to graduate school where she got her PhD and today she runs her own lab in the Discovery Center.
DG’s father was an epidemiologist, so he grew up with a scientific background. After his undergraduate years, he went on to get a Masters and PhD.
RS wasa med school student interested in social justice issues. She got a Masters in Occupational Health after her residencyand was interested in community based interventional work.
SJ is the administrator with GUROP. She went into the research of why people get into research. She believes that research has a high impact on students. She is here at Georgetown to help students get notation and recognition on their transcripts for their research.
LA was a nurse in a Family Clinic. She saw young women with low blood pressure levels and worked to correct that problem. She now focuses on climate change and public health care.
- What research have you been involved in?
PC performed research on methadone – studying tolerance after continued usage of opiates and also pain tolerance
JL researches the genome and stability – ie. how do you protect your genome. She works with fruit flies as a model system and currently has a basic science lab examining how the cell repairs DNA damage.
DGhas been interested in the policy concerning controversy of fracking, finding new sources of natural gas, exposure of silica to workers involved with fracking.
RS has worked in a variety of research areas, ranging from: health career advancement, transformed environmental services, educating the cleaning staff in a hospital about hospital-inquired infections, taking note of cost improvements and measuring respiratory health
LA works to serve the underserved and examines health care. Another project involves climate change and public health - looking at the association between air quality, temperature, and increased ER visits
She has received funding to use data sets with the DC Department of Health and wants to create risk messaging, working with parents and asking them how they protect their child when air quality gets bad, as well as preparing panels to educate professionals about various issues.
- What research (if applicable) are they currently involved in?
PC: opiod induced hyperalgesia (increased sensitivity to pain) and diagnose addiction in chronic pain patients, clinical trails
JL: genome instability
DG: Silica particulates in fracking, urban and agricultural pesticide exposure
RS: education for hospital cleaning and occupational health & health outreach
LA: medical homes getting better clinical outcomes from nursing health management & climate change and public health epidemiology, focus groups with parents of asthmatic children, educational models
- Is there a place (blog, email newsletter, etc.) where we can follow the progress of Faculty research, and learn about new Faculty research projects?
Check the NHS website and look for Faculty Spotlights posted by Bill Cessato, the NHS Director of Communication for specific information. According to SJ, there is an effort to make annual reports for professors and have an online searchable database possibly by January.
The GUJHS will try to post up-to-date news on the different science-related departments around campus about Lectures/Talks/Events hosted.
There will also be a Research Fair on November 13, 2013 that will host student efforts in the lab – talking about who they are working with, what the work is like, etc.
JL has a lab website where others can find more details and get a better sense of the lab work she does.
- Are any of you currently looking for undergraduate assistants and if so,what kinds of students are you looking for?
PC: Always! But you can’t just jump into working with human subjects – that takes more time and experience.
JL: No – has a cap of 5 students in the lab.
DG: Possible internship opportunity with the peer reviewed journal he works for
RS: *see RS’s separate statement*
LA: Always!
- For those of you that are current research mentors, what kinds of tasks do you assign to students?
PC: Needs students to work with her at least a semesterbefore working with human subjects and students need to take essential courses -> students can do literature reviews and are in offices doing work
JL: Does not need students now – but don’t be discouraged, typically there’s a high turn-over in her lab after the senior students graduate
DG: Not in a position to recruit students, BUT if students are interested in scientific editing, he can try to work with them. The office of the journal he works for is located in Philadelphia. Students can gain experience with peer review journal, but students needs to be strongly motivated to do editing
RS says that it is typically easier for people in non-lab work to accommodate students, usually little funding for lab work
LA: Looking for undergraduates. Students may do review of literature; research is precise. She likes to match students with projects that suit them.
- What advice or suggestions do you have for someone who is trying to get involved in research with no prior experience?
JL: don’t hesitate just because you have no experience. It gets harder to get your foot into research as you get older
LA: Do whatever you like to do / whatever is the best fit for you
PC: Research methods will transfer across settings.
DG: Students in GU who find opportunity in research will be stronger candidates than their peers who don’t do research. You will be seen with a higher degree of respect than the student who just took the classes and got the grades. Research will make you a contributor and it will [set you apart] on the front lines of the field with whatever you want to get into.
RS advice: Read up on the Primary Investigator’s work ahead of time, see what publications they have made, how often they make them, what grants they currently have, see whether other students work in the lab as well (Post-docs/Graduate/Undergraduate)
Check out the Faculty/Neuroscience/Lombardi/Nursing for opportunities.
People in epidemiology research – take epidemiology course; statistics (valuable; useful for population study)
- What is the most rewarding aspect of doing research?
PC: making changes at a clinical unit and learning how to think of pain and opiate addicts
- How do you deal with failure in lab?
JL: Just keep going; what keeps you going is your eureka moments! That is very satisfying
DG: failure is what science is about; expect that good ideas may not get a high priority score; try to improve how you write and express your ideas (i.e. work with peers and community members)
Don’t let being turned down interfere with your objectives. Don’t be discouraged.
LA: appreciates all the hard work when her research is actually used at briefing
- Is it better to apply for research-related positions, perhaps through the student employment office, or to contact researchers directly? When is the best time to get started?
Ola: Students can get placed in labs with the employment office – ie.In some labs in medical center
JL: Email and contact the faculty directly. You want semi-independent research and be able to contribute to the bigger picture. In basic sciences, JL prefers younger students that will work with her over the years and mature.
SJ: Students need to think of making a resume with an objective to list research experience. Find out when professor/faculty office hours are and make face-to-face contact.
RS: It depends what you’re looking for – some research assistants may wind up just washing dishes. But at least they get paid. But read up beforehand on the kind of work you’d be expected to do.
JL: On average, she expects students to commit to 5 hours a week. In bench science, this might go up to 15 hours a week once a student gets familiarized with the environment and the work.
- What to do with faculty who don’t want undergraduate workers?
JL: Propose to them that you would love to do the internship with grad students and shadow them (they could be your mentor). Offer to at least shadow with them and you could probably win them over.
Ola: go talk to more people; be persistent!