Pulse Fall 2011 Final

8/3/2019 Pulse Fall 2011 Final

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Better Science Through Running?Lila Farrington, 5 th-Year PMCB Graduate StudentThis September, I ran my rst half marathon.With my mom. And at the risk of alienatingmy most loyal readership, here we go…The most challenging part of it? Not thedistance, not the terrain, but getting thematernal unit to say something – anything -positive. There were too many runners to

pass, too many potholes, too much sun, toomany runners passing us, too much pain inher knee, too much gravel… and always,too many more miles left to go.

As much of a downer as this sounds, Iunderstood exactly what my mom wasdoing. She was trying not to believe in theoutcome that she wanted (to nish therace), but instead to prepare herself for all ofthe other possibilities. Despite this apparentnegativity, she kept running. We both glidedthrough the nish, and only then did we talkabout how lovely the course was and howmuch fun it would be to run another.

I am an only child with limited extendedfamily, so our relationship (my mothers andmine) is necessarily close. I know her wellenough to realize that she would call this

behavior skepticism, not negativity. That word –skepticism– may sound familiarto anyone who’s spent time in a researchlaboratory. And this is not an accident.

Like any teenager, I wanted to be exactly what my mom wasn’t: a career scientist .But at the age of 24, I wound up here atOHSU in a Ph.D. program. And I’m startingto call myself, yes, a scientist. This path iscertainly challenging, but not.. (cont. page 9)

Lila Farrington and her mother celebrate after defeatingskepticism and successfully completing a half marathon.

The Pulse: The OHSU Student Newsletter, Fall 2011 Editor: Will Giardino ([email protected])

THE PULSE ::: Fall 2011 Edition The OHSU Student Newsletter ::: www.ohsustudent.blogspot.com

In This Issue:

Pharmacy Rotations in Nigeria …….…….DS-2 Intramural Champs ...…............…..

Stuff

My P.I. Says …………….…....…..Managing Stress With Mindfulness ..……Get Out The Vote! ...................................Student Center Update …………………. . Research Week Announcement…………TGIF, WTF? ............................................ .Library Open House and ILL Service ..….Downtime = TV Time ……..………..…….

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The Pulse: The OHSU Student Newsletter, Fall 2011

According to Dr. Michael Carlascio, an Assistant Professor in the Department ofRes to ra t ive Den t i s t ry, The DS-2sdominated All-Hill sporting events thisy e a r. I n d e e d , t h e S u m m e r t e r mchampionships for all three intramuralsports (basketball, volleyball, and soccer)went to teams comprised entirely of DS-2s.

One team of DS-2s that has beenespecially prolic in their athletic success isthe Swamp Donkeys, represented bycaptain Carly Miller-Werben. Beginning in

their rst quarter of competition in Fall 2010,the Swamp Donkeys have taken the indoorsoccer championship title every season.

2nd -Year Dental Students Sweep Intramural SportsPulse Staff (Photos courtesy of Dr. Michael Carlascio)

Swamp Donkeys (L to R): Aubrey Kiene, Greg Kiene, Kevin Andrews,Tyler Peterschmidt, Carly Miller-Werben, Nate Risley, Brent Erickson.

Swamp Donkeys captain Carly Miller-Werben (DS-2)battles an opponent for possession of the ball.

After speaking with Swamp Donkey NateRisley, it was clear that the team planned toexpand on their 4-peat and continue theirstreak through the remainder of the schoolyear (with the exception of Winter term,during which gym construction will put allintramural sports on temporary hiatus).

At the time of publishing, the Fall 2011season was well underway and the SwampDonkeys remained undefeated, eying thepossibility of a fth consecutive title match.

As part of our fourth-year pharmacyrotation, Matt Bennett and I journeyed toNigeria on a two week-long medical missiontrip with Global Health Outreach (GHO). Ourteam was comprised of Bob Coulter, apharmacist in La Grande, Oregon, alongwith 15 members from America includingsurgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, andmedical doctors. Our American team joined

Pharmacy Students Complete Rotation in NigeriaKarim Moukalled and Matt Bennett, 4 th-Year Pharmacy Students

ProHealth Nigerian doctors to provide careto Nigerians. Our first week was in a newlyconstructed hospital in the city of Uyo, thestate capitol of Akwa Ibom. The hospital wasconsidered one of the better hospitals in thestate with an OR theater room, eyesurgery room, doctor counseling rooms, andpharmacy. We were fortunate that thepharmacy was one of only … (cont. page 10)




It takes an amazing amount of persistence tobecome a Principal Investigator, or P.I. First,in order for universities to notice your workand offer you a start-up package, you mustearn a graduate degree and complete asuccessful post-doctoral fellowship thatresults in several publications. Then, a P.I.must continually think of new ideas and writegrants that get funded, all the whileassembling a team of scientists ambitiousenough to perform hypothesis-testingexperiments and publish their results.

It goes without saying that P.I.s are incrediblyhard-working, determined individuals withlots of wisdom that they’ve gained throughtheir journey in becoming a scientist. This iswisdom that P.I.s selflessly share with thosearound them. Unfortunately, there are timeswhen it just doesn’t come out right.

Here are some examples in which P.I.s havesaid things that maybe just came out a littlewrong … Or maybe they really meant to sayit that way? We’ll never know.

Happy Researching!

Stuff My P.I. Says On starting your morning right:

When (arch-enemy scientist) wakes upin the morning, he probably thinks aboutdiabetes. When I wake up in the morning,all I can think about is the stock market.

On storing things in the freezer:

minus 80 is where good kits go to die

On replacing broken lab equipment:This machine lasted 15 years, and

replacing it will cost 10 grand …well, atleast it’s cheaper than a post-doc.

On project development:

Don t try to hit a home run with your project if you’re not even on base.

Would you like to share something your P.I.has said? Submit quotes to:

[email protected].

Advisors, would you like to share amusingstuff your students have said? Submit quotesto: [email protected]

As with this column , all submissions willremain anonymous.

On dealing with difficult emotions: PI : Whenever I’m sad, I just read all of

my Nature papers.

Student : But I don’t have any Naturepapers of my own...

PI : Oh right …that’s depressing.

On how to celebrate:

Happy Birthday. Here’s your brownie…

now get back to work!

I’m buying lunch for the lab, and I don’twant to pressure you into making anydecisions … but I will say that the free

Saltine crackers at Mac Hall are excellent.

On mentoring graduate students:

PI : I really hope you are my lastgraduate student.

Student : Really, why? PI : Well, you count for like fivestudents, so if the next one is

anything like you, I’ll need to retire.

You have to get me to revise your grant when I’m with you, becauseevery time you leave the room, I

forget I have a graduate student.



Got Stress? An Introduction to MindfulnessJack Crossen, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Student Health Service

While stress or anxiety about an upcomingtest or project may motivate us to keep on

track, too much stress can impair focus andconcentration and also can have signicantnegative health impacts over the long term.One technique proven to decrease stress isa regularly-scheduled meditative practicethat emphasizes a state of mindfulness.

One useful denition of mindfulness isnon-judgmental awareness. The practice

of mindfulness is about getting in touch withour own experience, moment-to-moment, inan emotionally neutral and accepting way.When we do this, we avoid over-thinking.

The purpose of mindfulness may seemelusive, because a purpose seems to evokeevaluation. The actual purpose of fosteringmindfulness is to practice shifting from

personal evaluation toward neutrally andsimply observing experience in a givenmoment. Mindful skills can be useful whenwe evaluate ourselves negatively by self-criticism or when we get… (cont. page 9)


Mindfulness-based stress reduction may be an excellentmethod for improving your personal health and wellness.

OHSU Students – Let’s Rock the Vote!Autumn Fletcher, 5 th-Year PMCB Graduate StudentAh, the joys of adulthood: paying your ownbills (or your portion of the bills), cookingyour own food (such as it may be), cleaningyour own house (to your own standards, if not to your mom’s), and most importantly (if you’re like me), being able to cancel outmy dad’s vote for who gets to be the nextlocal representative (or our next president).

The cynical among us would say thatvoting is an exercise in futility. I disagree.

Why should you bother to vote? Here are just a few reasons: 1) You then get to(truthfully!) say things like That idiot in theWhite House, Senate, etc. isn’t my fault, Ivoted for the other candidate. 2) You canfeel like you’ve done your civic duty, anddutifully go back to ignoring politics in order

to not be ticked off at the state of things. 3)It s one of those things that people fight for the ability to do, so we shouldn’t take it for granted. And finally, 4) If you’re an Oregonvoter, you don’t have to go anywhere; your ballot comes in the mail and you can justmail it back – so why wouldn’t you vote?!

If you recently moved to Oregon and you dlike to use your voice in upcoming elections,

you can register at the Oregon secretary of state website: tinyurl.com/vote4oregon

If you re here for school, and plan to keepyour residency in your own state, here is awebsite where you can sign up to receiveabsentee ballots: www.longdistancevoter.org



Construction at the Student CenterKaren Seresun, M.B.A, M.P.E, Assistant Vice Provost for Student Life

This year, the OHSU Student Center hasbeen awarded $900,000 by the University’s

Capital Allocation Committee to continuewith the multi-phase plan to renovate theStudent Center. As a result, the third phaseof capital construction will begin this Fall,and there are a number of projects thatare scheduled to be completed.

The project list consists of seismicupgrades to the second oor, upgrades tothe gymnasium (including replacing the oorand installing energy efcient lighting), andcompleting the re safety work that began

in the second phase of construction. It isnot certain if the entire list of projects will becompleted; however, we are working with aProject Manager in Design and Constructionto accomplish as many projects aspossible. Projects that are not completedwith this year’s capital dollars will be rolledover and become a part of the subsequentyear’s construction plans… (cont. page 10)

The Student Center is the proud new owner of a Steinwaybaby grand piano. Check at the front desk for availability.

Research Week is coming May7 th -10 th , 2012! This week will includethe Student Research Forum andmuch more! We value your input inmaking this event happen. Toprovide input, or to obtain moreinformation about this event,contac t Biomedica l Sc iencesInformation Specialist Jackie Wirz:[email protected] , 503-494-3443.

Research Week: May 7-10, 2012Jackie Wirz, PhD; Biomedical Sciences Information Specialist, OHSU Library

Ofcial logo of the 2011 Student Research Forum,designed by PMCB graduate student Jonathan Nelson.




The other day on Facebook, one of my non-graduate student friends posted TGIF. Atrst, I sat there dumbfounded. Then out ofnowhere, I silently screamed at the top of mygurative lungs WTF DOES THAT MEAN!?

Putt ing aside al l of the rel igiousconnotations that go along with TGIF, Irealized I had forgotten what it means to begrateful for the weekend. In the last fourmonths, I can count the number of weekenddays I haven’t spent working in the lab onone hand. In the last ve years of my life, Ican’t think of a weekend where I didn’tcheck my work email. Looking into my

future, I don’t think there will ever be aweekend where I don’t think about my research. In all honesty, TGIF might as wellmean transforming growth-interactingfactor to me (and I don’t even study that).

Less than a time to catch up, weekendsfor me have become my opportunity to getahead. It’s become my mantra, resonatingwithin me like a Central Tone that graduateschool has harmonized my psyche to. Ihave to get ahead, I have to be the best, I

am never good enough right now, and thereis no chance I will ever be good enoughunless I work this weekend. The other day, Iheard that ve percent of PhD graduates areable to attain a faculty position. FivePercent. My graduate program admitsapproximately twenty students a year, sove percent of twenty people would be oneperson for every class. One.

So I did a quick inventory of myself as

compared to the rest of my class:Are there students who went to better

undergraduates than me? Yes. Students withmore publications than me? Yes. Studentswith better publications than me? Yes.Students who are smarter than me? Yes.Students who work harder than me? Yes.

TGIF! WTF?Nameless Graduate Student

It seems that the likelihood of me beingThe One out of my class seems pretty

slim. I shared this thought with a friendtoday, hoping that they would empathize.Instead, they were astute enough to pointout that 5% didn’t apply to OHSU alone, butto all PhD graduates in the world. Therefore I

just have to face the fact that the odds ofreceiving a faculty appointment probablyskews away from OHSU towards Harvard.

So why? Why do I give up my weekends(and so much more) for graduate school? Ido it because I love it. I do it because I’veseen myself grow more in the last ve

years of my life than in the previoustwenty. I do it because I have an insatiablecuriosity about how life works. I do it for the

euphoric high that only comes from provinga hypothesis you’ve been working on foryears. I do it for the blissful sleepless nightswhen I can’t stop anticipating the “perfectexperiment” I just conjured up.

In writing this, I realized that if I could goback and talk to myself when I was afreshman I wouldn’t tell them to change at h i n g . I ’ d o ff e r t h e m a d v i c e a n dencouragement like you can trust yourselfand you are going to accomplish things you

never thought possible . I’d probably warnthem about the painful jealousy they aregoing to experience when their high-schoolclassmates (who don’t go to graduateschool) own a home, two cars, and vacationin Cancun every year. But I’d also reassurethem that it’s worth it for the sense ofaccomplishment they earn following theirdifcult dream of becoming a PhD.

However, that is the past, and I have to livein the present. It’s my experience that thereis something clarifying, and perhaps evenpurifying, about stepping outside of yourself.So maybe it is a lot more constructive for meto ask, If I could give myself any adviceright now, what would it be? You may not be The One, and that’sok, as long as you love the journey.




FREE OHSU Interlibrary Loan Pilot ProjectJudith Norton, OHSU Library

We know from your feedback that paying forarticles or books from other librariesthrough interlibrary loan makes it harder foryou to access the materials you need for asuccessful student experience at OHSU.

So, from September 1, 2011 throughDecember 31, 2011, the OHSU Library isconducting a pilot project to provide freeinterlibrary loans for all OHSU students.(Requests for Summit materials are alreadyfree. For more information about Summitservice, please see: tinyurl.com/OHSULib1 ).

Other fees, such as RUSH surcharges

($10.00), or scanned copies from theLibrary’s collection ($10.00) will still apply.To request items from the OHSU Library

database, register an ILL Express account( tinyurl.com/OHSULib2 ) and click on theblue "Find at OHSU Library" button. Next,click on the Interlibrary Loan link , log intoyour ILL Express account, and hit Submit!

Because books must be shipped, the average turnaround for print or audiovisual

materials is 2-3 weeks. The averageturnaround for print or audio visual materials

requested through Summit is 4-5 days.

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The annual OHSU Library All-HillStudent Open House is happeningon Wednesday, February 15, 2012from 4-6 pm in the OHSU Library.

Come join your fellow students,enjoy food, drink, and prizes, learnabout the library resources, get toknow your library personnel, andget your Mardi Gras groove on!Open to all OHSU students.

Library Open House:Mardi Gras CelebrationAmy Werner, OHSU Library

This pilot project will be evaluated inJanuary 2012 to assess if it is feasible tocontinue the service. Announcements willbe made at that time. Questions orcomments? Please give us a call at503-494-3499, or email [email protected] .


Did You Know?

The average cost to the OHSU Library to ll an ILL request is $17.50;

the range is from $8.50 to $90.00.The average turnaround time for an

article is 2-3 days; the range is from 2

hours to 2-3 weeks, depending onthe library that is lling your request.



!

Downtime = TV TimePhil Han, 3 rd-Year Dental Student

Friday Night Lights ( FNL ) and The Wire aretwo highly under-appreciated TV shows that

capture the American experience. The veseasons from each show have garneredthem a fair amount of critical acclaim, butnot nearly as much commercial success. It'sdenitely worth your R&R time to watchthese amazing works of art, and get a tasteof the best TV shows you haven't seen.

FNL is not just about a high schoolfootball coach and the rural community inwhich he reluctantly leads (but also truthfullyshows) the small town culture that is lacking

in the mainstream. The show does not shyaway from touchy subjects such as religion,abortion, gang violence, and decayingschools. Nor does it atten its charactersinto clichés like your typical episode ofGlee . However, it does portray what is likelythe best on-screen couple on TV. So if youwant to emulate a successful marriage, lookno further than Mr. and Mrs. Taylor. The Wire will likely stand as the best TVshow ever made. This rich, sprawling, epicyarn of story-telling will likely give many themost authentic slice of urban America in anymedium. Set in Baltimore, Maryland, this"cop" show is anything but Law and Order

style. There are no good guys or bad guys,but plenty of grey. Its creator, David Simon,was a beat reporter in Baltimore, and hiscollaborators are ex-cops. The ve seasonstackle the futility of the drug war, corruption

in the political system, failing schools, andthe selectivity of the media to great effect.Warning: the show is extremely addictive --I know people who watched all 60 hoursworth of episodes in two weeks. So makesure you've got a break lined up, orimportant exams in the distant future.

Neither show has generated a followingthe size of LOST or CSI because they don'tcater to a specic audience, and instead,demand us to thoughtfully digest someuncomfortable truths about the current stateof urban and rural America. So the next timeyou get a chance to unwind, be sure tocheck out these two incredible shows.

Friday Night Lights : not your average small-town football culture-based, social construct-examining television show.


The Wire : a rich, sprawling, epic yarn of story-telling.



Better Science Through Running?(continued from page 1)


…stuck in worrying about things.A very common outcome of mindfulness

is to increase our awareness of how often

(and automatically) attention shifts from onething to another. In the course of observingour thoughts while slowly breathing, weroutinely notice that we might move from3-6 different thoughts within one minute!

It is especially intriguing that such shiftingbogs down when we try not to think ofsomething! Some therapeutic applicationsof mindfulness consider this process infacing problems like anxiety, depression,anger, and other negative emotional states.Facing these feelings mindfully instead oftrying to prevent them paradoxicallyfacilitates letting go of them as transient,and neutralizes their hold on our attention.

There are numerous written guides andauditory CDs that can assist in trying outmindful experiences. In fact, over the course

of many centuries, several diverse culturaltraditions have developed concepts aboutthe observing self. For instance, the terms

meditatio n and contemplation are oftenused to refer to similar disciplined practicesthat foster a state of mindfulness.

We are expanding our health and wellnessservices at the OHSU Student HealthService, and we are here to encourage youto make the same investment in yourpersonal health that you are making in youracademic endeavors. In addition to ourfantastic clinicians, we now have a wellnesslibrary and a wellness space for students.Please accept our invitation to browse thelibrary or attend a scheduled mindfulnesssession to see for yourself the efcacy ofmindfulness-based stress reduction. Feelfree to contact the OHSU Student HealthService for further information, or toschedule an appointment: 503.494.8665.

Got Stress? An Introduction to Mindfulness(continued from page 4)

…in the ways that I imagined. With myclasses done and my big tests taken, I amleft with the day-to-day maze of trouble-shooting, the endless rearrangement ofsmall volumes of liquid, unrepeatableresults, and the constant need to organizemy own time and supply my ownmotivation. The hardest part is to plugthrough all of this while simultaneouslyremaining skeptical. I have to consider allpossibilities while still shooting for the mostexciting one, the one that may land me apublication, and eventually, a defense date.

There is a vibrant running culture inPortland, and especially here at OHSU. It

was class and labmates who convinced meto run my rst 5K and 10K races, participatein my rst Hood-To-Coast Relay, and helpedme to realize that marathon runners are infact human beings. I wonder if this is morethan coincidence. The parallels betweenscience and running are many; sports areoften seen as a metaphor for other, moreconsequential life struggles. Running inparticular is a lesson in plodding on despitediscomfort and fatigue, in nding meditationin monotony, in learning to enjoy the viewalong the way and trusting in the eventual,

and certainly euphoric, runner’s high.(Read more at lilaventures.wordpress.com)




…two air-conditioned rooms in the hospital.The hospital featured electricity in eachroom and functional plumbing, which washard to come by elsewhere. Each day,medical cards were handed out to Nigerians(with priority to pregnant women, children,and elderly), allowing them to see aconsultant doctor that referred them tosurgery, an eye doctor, or wrote them aprescription to be taken to the pharmacy.Our mornings began at 6:15 am with anhour dedicated to worship and prayer, andended at 7:00 pm followed by a late dinnerat 8:00 pm. The GHO group preformed 120

surgical cases (mostly hernias and goiters),while the pharmacy served over 500patients a day, totaling over 8,000prescriptions during the week. The eyecenter dealt mainly with cataract surgeriesand also provided several eye exams.

During our second week, we took a 4 hourdrive from Uyo to Oguta, a more rural city inImo state, which features the Oguta Lakelandmark and a much higher prevalence ofmalaria. The hospital in Oguta wasconsiderably less developed than the rst,with non-functional plumbing and agenerator used to provide power. Thehospital did not have any air conditioning,

but had similar wards with an OR headed byfour local surgeons, an eye surgery room,consulting rooms, and a pharmacy. The

pharmacy served over 400 patients in asingle day, each with multiple drug orders.The most common prescribed medicationsincluded ant ib io t ics , an thelmint ics ,antihypertensives, and antimalarials.

In total, over 200 surgical cases wereperformed, and over 4,500 people weretreated over the course of two weeks.Thousands of lives were touched, includingthose of many GHO and ProHealth teammembers. The trip was a valuable and life-changing experience that provided a greaterperspective on healthcare in a third-worldcountry, and how pharmacies andmedications play a role in people’s lives.

Pharmacy Students Complete Rotation in Nigeria(continued from page 2)

...Throughout the various renovationprojects at the Student Center, the goal has

been to complete the construction that maydisrupt students and normal businessfunctions during off-hours, or on weekends.However, in order to complete the majorityof this year’s projects, the gymnasium willneed to be closed for approximately threeand a half months. The construction projectis scheduled to begin on Monday Dec. 5 th

2011, and the anticipated completion dateis Monday March 19 th, 2012.

We apologize in advance for theinconvenience that these projects maycause and appreciate your patience as weupgrade the facility. Any students who areinterested in serving on the Student CenterPlanning Committee are encouraged tocontact Jesse Hollander, 4 th -year dentalstudent, at [email protected] .

Construction at the Student Center(continued from page 5)

Karim Moukalled (back center) and Matt Bennett (back-L)traveled to Nigeria with pharmacist Bob Coulter (front-L).

Pulse Fall 2011 Final

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