Kevin Cleary is a senior majoring in Biology with a certificate in Global Health. Last summer he completed an internship with TEAN Australia at the University of Sydney. After graduation, he plans to pursue a masters degree in public health.
Q: What did you do at your internship?
A: At the University of Sydney it was my responsibility to perform immunohistochemistry on various biochemical markers in the development of colorectal cancer. To prepare for the upcoming day’s experiment, I spent countless hours doing online research to determine concentrations that I would be using later in my own experiment. Once this information was obtained, I then went into the lab and actually performed the experiment. A full experiment had various minute steps along the way, so a full experiment would ultimately take all day long, with analysis being taken the following day. Analysis included visual inspection through a normal microscope, a microscope with the ability to create a digital image, and ultimately, the digital image would be used in Photoshop or a scanning program to determine the percent of antibody that we were specifically looking for. Often times I found myself repeating experiments because the desired antibody wasn’t stained, or was stained incorrectly. Just as in any other scientific experiment, there are variables that can affect results, and repeated experiments are warranted in cases that do not give the desired result.
Q: What type of student organization and research experiences did you pursue to enhance your resume and help improve your professional skills?
A: Luckily for me I have held a variety of internships, and research positions while at UW. I had my first internship following my freshman year at a local hospital back home as a neuro-oncology intern. This helped me pave the way to get into research the following fall and through the fall of my junior year. Following my neuro-oncology internship, I worked as part of a clinical research group interested in radiation in head and neck tumors. I soon found myself wanting to experience laboratory science, so I opted for my own research project under the direction of Dr. Kevin Kozak, which I worked on for a year, and ultimately led to publication this past February. Starting in May 2011 I was also part of a clinical research team investigating the effects of Vitamin D intake in post-menopausal women and its effects on bone density and muscle fitness.
In addition to my research positions, I am also a member of the Undergraduate Neuroscience Society, National Society of Leadership and Success, Tri-Beta National Biological Honor Society. From these organizations I have been in contact with various healthcare professionals which helped me bridge the gap between my mentor and myself.
Q: In what way was your internship valuable to your professional development?
A: As a student personally invested in healthcare and medicine at a national and global level, my internship really put me at the forefront of research and medicine. I interned as part of a pharmacological research team interested in colorectal cancer, which happens to be the third most common cancer amongst both men and women. Being in lab or behind a computer screen all day caused me to be very isolated, with minimal contact with other members of my team. As an extroverted individual, it was difficult for me to work in an environment like mine for the mere fact that I was alone much of the time. Having worked in a very introverted environment, I have come to the conclusion that lab science is not what I want to do for the rest of my life, as I like the communication and I guess marketing part of medicine, more importantly how they play into public health. From this internship experience I now know what goes on more of a biological level, which I really appreciate, and I hope to bridge the gap between research, like mine, to making it understandable to the general public.
Q: Do you feel your internship experience was important to your career development? If so, why?
A: It would be hard to argue how my internship was not important to my career development. Not only did it finally convince me that laboratory research was not for me, but it really showed me how passionate I am towards combating cancer. Instead of trying to fight cancer by finding a cure, I am going to fight cancer on the preventative front. Cancer, although it has a genetic component, is very much dependent on peoples lifestyle behaviors, and it would be my duty to shape those to prevent the development of cancer. I am grateful that I learned the biology behind tumor progression and treatment, and I hope to bridge the gap between research and prevention.
Q: Who do you feel helped you the most in your professional development and why?
A: It is really hard to pinpoint one exact person that helped in my professional development. I would not have had the experiences I have had if it were not for my mentor, Dr. Hendrikus Krouwer, whom I interned with after my freshman year. He helped me get into my first research job at UW with Dr. Kevin Kozak. Ultimately I believe Dr. Kozak has been the most influential in my professional development. He was the one who trusted me as a sophomore to work as a clinical researcher on his team, and he was kind enough to allow me to do laboratory research when I had wanted to switch. Kevin also helped me get involved in the clinical research regarding vitamin D, and ultimately my research in Australia. Through all the experiences he afforded me I was able to finally set my aspirations on graduate school in pursuance of my masters in public health.
