![]() |
Christopher Devine |
The Samuel H. Abramson Memorial Research Fellowship (Abramson
Fellowship) at Harvard University was established in 1983 by Edward and Harriet
Abramson in honor of Edward’s father to support students conducting research on
issues related to Israel and Jewish studies.
However, when Edward passed away in 2001 after a courageous battle with
ALS, the focus of the fellowship shifted to support students conducting stem
cell research particularly in the areas of ALS and neurodegenerative
disease.
The Abramson Fellowship is open to Harvard University
students in their sophomore, junior, or senior years. The Abramson Fellowship
has been awarded to more than 250 of Harvard’s best and brightest students.
Thank you to Prize4Life supporter and ALS advocate Harriet
Abramson, as well as Dr. Jeffrey Macklis, Professor of Stem Cell and
Regenerative Biology at Harvard University and mentor to many of the students
that receive the Abramson Fellowship, for the opportunity to get to know some
of the most recent recipients of the Abramson Fellowship.
Christopher Devine,
Class of 2013
Harvard University senior and Abramson Fellowship awardee
Christopher Devine grew up just outside of New York City in Ramsey, New
Jersey. Before beginning his studies at
Harvard in the fall of 2009, Christopher attended high school at Bergen County
Academies (BCA) where he chose to specifically focus on medical science
technology. While at BCA, Christopher
honed his leadership and communication skills.
These skills have matured and continue to serve him well with his
studies and scientific research efforts at Harvard.
We recently asked Christopher to share his thoughts about
being awarded an Abramson Fellowship in the summer of 2012 and how his research
at Harvard may impact the understanding of neurodegenerative diseases such as
ALS.
Q: How did you become
involved in the Abramson Fellowship program?
A: Since arriving
at Harvard, I have been actively involved with a number of activities including
peer advising and tutoring, and have held leadership roles in Student
Government and on the Student Life Committee. However, my most personally and
professionally defining experience at Harvard has been being a member of Dr.
Jeffrey Macklis’ laboratory in the Harvard Department of Stem Cell and
Regenerative Biology. I joined the lab
in the spring of my freshman year as an undergraduate concentrating in
Neurobiology. Two years later, in the
summer of 2012, I had the honor of receiving the Abramson Fellowship to support
my research efforts. The research I conducted with the support of the Abramson
Fellowship culminated in my senior thesis, “Investigating the Fidelity of
Axolotl Forebrain Regeneration.”
Q: What type of
research are you currently conducting?
A: Research in
the Macklis lab is at the forefront of developmental and regenerative biology.
I am currently working with postdoctoral fellow Dr. Hari Padmanabhan to better
understand neuronal development and regeneration. More specifically, I work
with a unique species of salamander that can naturally regenerate its body
parts, including the spinal cord and brain. If we are able to better understand
the mechanisms involved with brain regeneration and repair, it will bring us
one step closer to understanding the complexity of neurodegenerative diseases
like ALS.
Q: Why did you choose
to focus your research on understanding neuronal regeneration and
neurodegenerative diseases?
A: Of all known
medical conditions, neurodegenerative diseases are by far the least
understood. The fact that so little is
known about neurodegenerative diseases, and in particular ALS, has served as a
powerful motivator for me to engage in basic scientific research focused on the
development and regeneration of the central nervous system. It is important for
me know that my research, no matter how small the contribution is, may in fact
contribute to the fight against ALS and possibly provide hope to those who are
currently battling the disease or will be diagnosed in the future.
Q: How has being
awarded an Abramson Fellowship motivated you to continue with your research?
A: Being awarded
an Abramson Fellowship has empowered me to become involved with understanding
how to translate basic research findings into discoveries that can one day help
treat patients with neurodegenerative diseases. I have shadowed neurologists
and have seen how debilitating neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and
Parkinson’s disease can be to patients and their loved-ones. These diseases can
strike anyone regardless of who you are, where you come from, or what you have
done with your life. Not only is the
research I am conducting intellectually stimulating, it reminds me that I am
making a difference for ALS patients. I
am truly lucky to be participating in cutting edge research that will
contribute to a better understanding of the cellular mechanisms that drive
neuron development and repair.
Q: What are your
plans for the future?
A: My long term
goal is to help those who suffer from neurodegenerative diseases as a
physician-scientist. This will allow me to engage in both medical practice and
in translational research. I am confident that the foundation I have built at
Harvard will help me to achieve this goal.
Following graduation this May, I will be attending the University of
Cambridge in the United Kingdom to pursue my MPhil in Translational Medicine
and Therapeutics as well as continue to develop my skills in translational
research. After that, I plan to return to Harvard Medical School and then
eventually practice medicine with the hope of using translational research to
take potential therapies from the bench to the bedside.
Q: What is your
message to ALS community?
A: Conducting
innovative research and working together is what I believe will lead to
effective treatments and a cure for ALS and other neurodegenerative
diseases. And it is not just the work I
am conducting in the Macklis lab as an Abramson Fellowship awardee; it is the
work of other Abramson Fellowship awardees, undergrads, graduate students, post
docs, and researchers around the world as well who are studying basic biology
and making new scientific discoveries to advance our understanding of
neurodegeneration. I would like to express my appreciation to the ALS community
for being so supportive and passionate.
This is incredibly meaningful to students like myself and keeps us
motivated to continue pursuing scientific research that contributes to the
fight against ALS. I want to say to the
ALS community and the supporters of the Abramson Fellowship, thank you for
allowing young researchers like me to be involved in such an important mission.
No comments:
Post a Comment