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The Daily OrangeProfessor offers research opportunities to medical students
By Steve Sulak
Posted: 4/19/06, 12:23 AM EST Section: News
Syracuse University students looking for research experience might not have to look any farther than down the street.
State University of New York Upstate Medical Center has many research opportunities, which SU students use to their advantage. Wendy Kates, an associate professor of psychiatry with a doctorate in human development, is offering students these opportunities.
When she arrived at Upstate about four years ago, she brought with her previous research from Johns Hopkins University. She has been conducting research on Velocardiofacial Syndrome.
Velocardiofacial Syndrome is a disease that can result in abnormalities in the facial area and some heart problems. It is inherited and is caused by a depletion of genetic material on chromosome 22, according to rarediseases.org.
Kates is interested in finding out whether children suffering with this disease show emotional deterioration. Kates says she sees the children two times in five years, with three years in between, to evaluate them.
Kates uses MRIs to scan the brain and gauge development. She is only interested in specific regions of the brain. MRIs are taken in these regions, and she looks to see if there is any addition or depletion of brain cells, Kates said. These brain cells might lead to an emotional deterioration.
"The goal of the research is to understand neurological development in kids with genetic disorders," Kates said. "The clinical goal is to develop treatment early on."
But Kates can't do the research by herself. She employs students to help her, many of which come from SU. Right now she has five postgraduate students assisting her, with several SU students working part time, Kates said.
Christiana Awosan, a 2003 SU graduate with a degree in psychology, is a research support specialist for Kates. She has been working at Upstate for three years, and considers her work more of a job, Awosan said.
Awosan is looking to attend graduate school for clinical psychology and marriage and family therapy, she said.
State University of New York Upstate Medical Center has many research opportunities, which SU students use to their advantage. Wendy Kates, an associate professor of psychiatry with a doctorate in human development, is offering students these opportunities.
When she arrived at Upstate about four years ago, she brought with her previous research from Johns Hopkins University. She has been conducting research on Velocardiofacial Syndrome.
Velocardiofacial Syndrome is a disease that can result in abnormalities in the facial area and some heart problems. It is inherited and is caused by a depletion of genetic material on chromosome 22, according to rarediseases.org.
Kates is interested in finding out whether children suffering with this disease show emotional deterioration. Kates says she sees the children two times in five years, with three years in between, to evaluate them.
Kates uses MRIs to scan the brain and gauge development. She is only interested in specific regions of the brain. MRIs are taken in these regions, and she looks to see if there is any addition or depletion of brain cells, Kates said. These brain cells might lead to an emotional deterioration.
"The goal of the research is to understand neurological development in kids with genetic disorders," Kates said. "The clinical goal is to develop treatment early on."
But Kates can't do the research by herself. She employs students to help her, many of which come from SU. Right now she has five postgraduate students assisting her, with several SU students working part time, Kates said.
Christiana Awosan, a 2003 SU graduate with a degree in psychology, is a research support specialist for Kates. She has been working at Upstate for three years, and considers her work more of a job, Awosan said.
Awosan is looking to attend graduate school for clinical psychology and marriage and family therapy, she said.
