Tiffany Harris: No Typical Day

by AFAR

Today I am starting my fourth week of my MSTAR experience. This puts me at about the half-way mark of my 8 week stint. Thus far I have enjoyed my time and really appreciate this opportunity. Prior to this summer, I had no research exposure or experience. I decided to apply for the MSTAR program because I would be able to be exposed to the research aspect of medicine while further exploring my interests in aging. At my home campus, I was able to find a physician/researcher who was doing work in two areas I am interested in: aging and…

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David Priemer: Using Technology for Falls Research

by AFAR

I just finished the first three weeks of the program and it has been nothing but a positive experience thus far. I have helped conduct research as a volunteer in this laboratory before and thus have become reacquainted to many old faces, which is always nice, and have taken a step forward in the laboratory as someone who actually has their own project as opposed to being an aid in others. I am completing my MSTAR project in a clinical biomechanics laboratory associated with the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The focus of…

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Michelle Barlow: No Easy Answer for Pain

by AFAR

A few weeks into my summer project, and I officially have a better understanding of the true nature of this process that we call “research.” Unfortunately, my initiation into this world comes with an agonizing wait for that elusive entity known as “IRB approval” to allow my project to proceed beyond background research into the prospective collection of data. However, I cannot complain as this time has afforded me the opportunity to prepare more fully to undertake the data collection as well as increase my knowledge of the topic, geriatric pain management in the ED. As…

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Vincent Cheng: Working with Rats

by AFAR

My first several weeks in the MSTAR program have been an amazing introduction to the field of geriatrics. On my first day, my mentor at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Care Center, Dr. Jeremy Walston, explained the basic causes of frailty in older individuals and how his lab investigated components leading to this outcome. I appreciated Dr. Walston taking the time out of his busy schedule to explain the reasoning behind the different projects in his lab and how these would help improve our understanding of frailty. During my first few weeks as an MSTAR student, I learned new lab techniques,…

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James Peairs: Ophthalmology Experience

by AFAR

During my first week and a half in my mentor's laboratory and clinic, I have been able to shadow Dr. Zhang in his ophthalmology clinic as he sees patients with age-related macular degeneration and diabetic maculopathy, two diseases that affect the geriatric population. Recent treatment advances target the growth of new blood vessels underneath the retina by blocking the effect of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF). In the last decade, as these anti-VEGF intraocular injections have been studied, clinicians have begun to wonder why certain patients react to treatment with large reversals of their vision loss, while others seem…

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