Victoria Yeh: Stepping into the Lab, Patients' Lives

by AFAR

I am currently involved in two different projects – I am collecting and organizing data for a study on the cognitive status of patients with heart failure and their adherence to medications, and doing data analysis for a study on injuries and illnesses that occur in patients with cardiovascular problems. Both research projects aim to answer questions about patients’ ability to adhere to their treatment regimens for heart disease. For some patients this can be very difficult, and one of the important questions I’ll be looking at is whether it is even more difficult for patients as…

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Sean Wo: Working With a Research Patient

by AFAR

I arrived at the lab early on this particular morning, and I was already sweating from the muggy Pittsburgh summer. Although my involvement in the MR HYPER (mister hyper) project mostly involves behind-the-scenes data analysis, I had the opportunity this morning to see for myself how the data is collected. Today's subject, a middle-aged female, came bustling through the door about 20 minutes late. Being in a hurry didn't help either. MR HYPER compares brain aging in prehypertensive people with normotensives. Measuring blood pressure accurately is crux of the project, meaning that she would have to sit calmly for…

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Jamie Sparling: Neuroimaging Research Focus

by AFAR

Hello! I’m Jamie Sparling and I just finished my first year at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM). This summer, I am completing an MSTAR research project in the lab of Dr. Angela Jefferson of the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center (ADC) and participating in the educational component at Harvard Medical School. I’m wrapping up my third week of the program, so I’ve been able to get settled fairly well here at the ADC. I had participated in the ADC’s PAIRS (Partnering in Alzheimer’s Instruction Research Study) program,…

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Lisa Maclean: Seeing Overlaps

by AFAR

Last night, I was trying to decide what I should look over before my geriatrics rotation. I made a list of the common medical conditions that I associate with older patients: dementia, arthritis, broken hips, cancer, heart disease. As I looked at this list, I immediately realized that there was no obvious section of my old study guides, class notes, or textbooks that would cover most of these topics. We were introduced to some of the basic principles of cancer in our biochemistry class, broken hips came up in anatomy, we learned a little about arthritis during our radiology unit,…

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Seth Levin: Many Firsts

by AFAR

I am almost two full weeks into my summer MSTAR at UMass Medical School. I have made great headway on the project, which focuses on the cognitive status and behavior of heart failure patients following acute symptom onset. I am very excited to explore my interests in geriatrics in the domain of epidemiological research. Having recently completed the cardiovascular course block at the end of my first year, I am also eager to apply my clinical and basic science background in heart failure to a study that will enhance the understanding and treatment of this condition. This summer marks several …

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