My Neuroscience experience

I sat in Dr. Wiley’s lab at the University of Pittsburgh, poring over files of records about HIVinfected human brains from which we had tissue samples. I had just learned how to read the autopsy reports, looking for key words and descriptive phrases the doctors had written that might disqualify the samples as potential candidates for our study. We were looking for HIV-positive human brain tissue samples that either had been diagnosed as having HIV encephalitis or not having encephalitis (to be used as a control). My objective was to find samples that had HIV encephalitis, but no other complicating disorders such as cytomegalovirus, bacterial infection, or meningitis. This was a more difficult task than one would perceive because the HIV infection often leads to the development of opportunistic infections that would not normally be of concern in patients without HIV. As I sifted through one manila folder after another, entering data into an Excel spreadsheet, I became aware of the fact that many of the brains we had were from patients who were only a few years older than I. I was twenty years old at the time, and after having to repeatedly enter “19” or “23” into the Age column, I began to realize that AIDS had literally taken these peoples’ lives. I could not even imagine what it would be like to be 17 years old knowing that I had a fatal disease. They would never be able to have the career of their dreams, go on a trip to Italy, or graduate from college. Life was taken from them before they fully experienced it. The above summer internship inspired me to want to help people with fatal diseases such as AIDS. More specifically, I knew I wanted to conduct research on the molecular basis of disease. One of the projects I worked on during that summer was developing a diagnostic procedure for HIV encephalitis using PK11195, a ligand for the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor present on the mitochondria of macrophages. The fundamental design of the experiment and its applicability to human disease left me intrigued. From then on, I wanted to attend graduate school so I could have the opportunity to better peoples’ lives through research as a biomedical scientist. After consideration, I realized that I am interested in taking more than one approach to answer scientific questions. Many fields of science interest me, including immunology, biochemistry, genetics, and pathology. I have always been extremely fascinated by the nervous system and its vital link to human disease. Having had three research experiences as an undergraduate, I feel prepared and excited to begin my path of research and study. Thus, I am applying to the Graduate Training Program in Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania because it is an interdisciplinary program that would allow me to serve people through biomedical research and help me achieve my goals. Penn’s graduate program in neuroscience is one of the most prestigious in the world. As the home to many of the greatest researchers in the field, Penn’s educational opportunities would meet my greatest expectations. The research done by Dr. Robert Doms, who is currently investigating the cellular biology of membrane proteins involved in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis, is of particular interest to me. My experiences using molecular biological techniques to study intracellular protein localization make his approach very appealing. I am specifically interested in studying the γ-secretase complex and its effects on the amyloid precursor protein (APP). Dr. Doms’ research has the potential to help millions of people with Alzheimer’s disease, and I would welcome the opportunity to work with him. Beyond my desire to attend Penn for academic reasons, Penn also appeals to me on a personal level. After spending four years in the rural setting of Mythic College, I am ready to live in a new, urban setting. Living in Philadelphia would be perfect for me because it would allow me to experience life in a major city while still in reach of my family’s home in Reading. I would be very excited to be surrounded by the academically and culturally rich environment at UPenn, and I hope to have the opportunity to do so.