My grandfather is the most disciplined 92-year-old I have ever met.
It was a cool summer morning, just before dawn. The only thing that woke me up was the familiar loud rustling sound of my grandfather putting on his shoes before heading out for a session of Tai Chi, a traditional Chinese meditative martial art.
He practices Tai Chi for an hour every morning at exactly 7 a.m. And he immediately buried his face in the same two papers. As a former journalist, he taught me the difference between a good story and a great story. Having always been surrounded by a sea of his grandfather's stacks of newspapers, his grandfather's love of the humanities and constant curiosity have greatly shaped my outlook and interest in research.
As a first-year student in Professor Mick Bonner's cognitive neuroscience class, I learned about the five principles that future principal investigator Dr. Elizabeth Marsh employs when working at the intersection of stroke research and clinical medicine. I have heard some guidelines offered. She then joined Marsh Labs soon after. I wanted to know more about stroke, but I didn't understand the true complexity of this disease until the fall of 2022, when her grandfather suffered a stroke.
Suddenly, my grandfather's small daily tasks became less performable. I saw him stumble while practicing Tai Chi, struggle to read small print in newspapers, and struggle to get the right words out during conversations.
All stroke survivors struggle with their own battles during post-stroke recovery. Some people struggle with memory and motor skills, while others suffer from post-stroke depression. Like my grandfather, each patient presents a story that goes beyond textbook symptoms and medical history.
The Marsh Lab researches stroke treatment, stroke recovery, and risk identification, with a focus on prevention and consistent follow-up of stroke patients. In particular, the lab highlights how stroke affects people differently, especially those who have had a mild stroke. Patients with mild strokes may not be affected as much in areas such as motor skills, but they show significant impairment in cognitive functions essential to daily life, such as attention and multitasking. These cognitive challenges tend to occur regardless of the specific location of the stroke, and the underlying causes remain poorly studied.
In partnership with the University of Maryland, our laboratory is currently using magnetoencephalography (MEG) technology. This technology collects data on brain activity during various cognitive tasks, investigates the impact of stroke on higher-order cognitive processes, and quantifies the neural basis of stroke. caused cognitive impairment. I work with the lab coordinator to instruct patients during these her MEG sessions at 1-month, 6-month, and 12-month intervals post-stroke. While performing tests, I can see the brain activity of patients in real time as they complete each task, which is always fascinating.
I am also involved in the 'Social Determinants of Health' project which investigates how different social variables influence patient follow-up rates and ultimately stroke recovery. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, low-income patients with minimal social support have been disproportionately affected by the economic and physical hardships caused by the virus. I did. Considering the influence of social variables when addressing stroke recovery can help understand the scope and strength of a patient's support system. This allows medical professionals to adjust treatment plans accordingly, working toward a future where all communities in Baltimore have access to quality health care.
For example, if a patient lacks a strong social support network, health care providers may need to invest more resources in rehabilitation services and psychological counseling. This data can ultimately improve a patient's chances of successful stroke recovery by providing personalized and effective care.
Another valuable aspect of working at the clinic includes the opportunity to observe Marsh and two amazing nurses, Dawn Merback and Erin Lawrence, every Wednesday and Friday. During each interaction, we take the time to understand the patient's complaint and explore personalized treatment options to ensure the best care for the patient. Seeing Marsh, Merback, and Lawrence's bedside manner firsthand helped define the kind of empathetic doctor I wanted to be in the future.
In addition to shadowing, you can also administer the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, a screening tool that assesses various cognitive areas such as language, visual construction skills, conceptual thinking, and orientation. By having direct contact with patients, I learned the importance of providing patient-specific care. Some patients prefer longer and more thorough explanations of work, while others require more pauses and breaks. Being able to decipher and address individual patient needs has provided me with valuable clinical skills that I would not have had the opportunity to learn first-hand elsewhere.
In addition to providing the highest quality of patient care in our clinics, the Marsh Lab is also focused on mentoring our undergraduate students. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a vibrant community where students from diverse backgrounds and experiences work together and celebrate each other's successes both inside and outside of the lab. Masu.
Although I have been working in the lab for over a year, I am still fascinated by the mysteries of the human brain and the neurological and biological underpinnings that enable physical and cognitive recovery after stroke. My personal connections with stroke patients, such as my grandfather, give me a unique perspective on this research and serve as a constant reminder of why this research is so important. Every week, I have the opportunity to make a tangible, personal impact on my patients, just like my grandfather did. Knowing that my work both in the clinic and in the lab has the potential to help current and future patients is the greatest gift I could ask for.
record research A spotlight on undergraduate students involved in STEM research at Hopkins. The purpose of this column is to share reflections on the ups and downs that Hopkins students have experienced in contributing to undergraduate research. If you are an undergraduate researcher interested in profiling, please contact us at science@jhunewsletter.com.
Editor's note, 2023: A previous version of this article contained a misspelling of Dawn Merbach.'s name.
Newsletter I regret this mistake.
