Aim Niamnud: Deciphering the Immunometabolism of Stroke Pathophysiology

The funding I received from NTC has allowed me to conduct research with various scientists in a laboratory lead by Dr. Xiaoying Wang, a researcher who moved to Tulane from the Harvard-Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Wang’s research focuses on experimental investigation of molecular pathophysiology following cerebrovascular diseases and traumatic brain injury (TBI), and translational therapeutic strategy development. My research proposal focused specifically on intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), which is arguably the deadliest of all strokes. Although, ICH stroke is only found in 15-30% of stroke patients, its impact on patients is undeniably lethal. Additionally, there is no direct cure to this disease and treatment options available are very costly. The direct effect of the cost of treatment disease disproportionately affects minorities from lower socioeconomic classes making the need to research this topic more pressing than ever.  

During this past summer, I conducted numerous experiments under the guidance of Dr. Xiaoying Wang, Dr. Ning Liu, Dr. Yinghua Jiang, and Dr. Samuel X. Shi. These experiments include cell seating, PCR, genotyping, primary microglial culture, stroke models, flow cytometry, etc. At first, there lab techniques were foreign to me, and I came in with little to no knowledge of what or why I was doing the experiments. My mentors patiently taught me the procedures of each experiment and explained the principles behind them. Also, I was assigned research papers to read and study daily to further my understanding of the lab’s research purpose and help me comprehend the principles behind the experiment I was working on. After weeks of practice and reading research papers, I was able to grasp the principles of many experiments and perform them accurately, producing data that could be used in future publications. Furthermore, through experiencing firsthand how scientists communicate and interact with one another, I was able to develop professional communication skills and understand how scientists work in a lab setting. Overall, through working in Wang’s laboratory, I learned many experimental techniques as well as developed great professional communication skills. I believe that the knowledge I’ve gained from this experience will help me become a successful physician-scientist in the near future.