David Kim ’16 researched neurovascular interactions in Washington D.C.
This summer, I was provided with the extraordinary opportunity to conduct biomedical research at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, MD. I worked under Professor Mukoyama’s Laboratory of Stem Cell and Vascular Biology in order to understand the neurovascular alignment in obese conditions along with embryonic pericyte development.
The Laboratory of Stem Cell and Vascular Biology focuses on understand the neuro-vascular interactions during embryonic development and in disease conditions. Many of the projects that are being completed focus on imaging techniques, where the researchers try to observe the alignment between nerves and blood vessels along with chemical signals that foster such interactions.
Throughout my time in the NIH, I met with many leading principal investigators and researchers, attended seminars and conferences, applied imaging and cellular laboratory techniques in further researching my project, and finally, provided writing and oratory assistance to my mentors for the pending publications. My main research project focused on observing the impaired neurovascular interactions in diet-induced obese mice.
This experience has helped me understand and appreciate the biomedical field, in addition to providing me with greater insight into becoming a medical researcher and a doctor.