FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
After a 10-week summer internship at the U.S. Army Institute
of Surgical Research at Fort Sam Houston, a group of undergraduate college
students wrapped up their research with a poster presentation for the USAISR
staff to highlight their work.
At the beginning of summer, the 11 interns, who were
sponsored by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, were paired
with USAISR researchers who served as mentors who oversaw their work on combat
casualty care research projects.
“Overall, the poster session was a tremendous success,” said
USAISR director of research Lt. Col. (Dr.) Kevin Chung. “It gave the students
an opportunity to put what they learned this summer on full display. I was very
impressed with what they were able to accomplish during their short time with
us. Many of their projects will have an immediate and relevant impact in
helping shape combat casualty care.”
David M. Burmeister, Ph.D., USAISR combat casualty care
research scientist and lead intern mentor, said that the ORISE program exposes
students to a laboratory environment and provides them with invaluable research
experience.
“This program also helps students to clarify their
educational goals and enables them to reach those goals,” Burmeister added.
The interns’ time at the USAISR was more than learning about
and conducting research. The interns attended weekly seminars, led journal club
sessions, and attended Burn Center Intensive Care Unit rounds with the unit
staff.
Betty Nguyen, a student at the University of California, Los
Angeles, was one of the interns assigned to work with research physiologists
Carmen Hinojosa-Laborde, Ph.D., Vic Convertino, Ph.D., USAISR senior scientist,
and Lt. Col. Robert Carter at the Tactical Combat Casualty Care task area.
Nguyen performed data analysis from data gathered using the
Compensatory Reserve Index.
The CRI uses an algorithm designed to take information from
a patient’s finger pulse oximeter and gauge whether immediate medical attention
is needed – even if the patient seems alert and responsive. It is the first
device of its kind that can truly detect when a patient seems stable but is
actually getting dangerously worse, known as “crashing.”
“It was a great experience and I learned a lot of relevant
knowledge that will help me with my college studies,” Nguyen said. “I learned
the most from shadowing and watching some influential clinicians and
researchers in their work environment.”
Nguyen learned about the internship program during a
presentation provided by Carter at UCLA. Carter and Nguyen are both Gates
Millennium Scholars, a scholarship funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation.
“This summer experience has made me more confident about my
abilities and has strengthened my interest in pursuing a medical and public
health dual degree,” Nguyen said.
“I’ll always remember the friendships made here as well as
the many Texas adventures I had as I return to California with a newfound love
for country music and Texas barbeque.”