Emma: Clinical Research in Pittsburgh

Hi Globemedders!

This summer, I’m very happy to be back home in Pittsburgh working at Allegheny Health Network. I am returning to AHN’s Department of Medicine, where I worked as an intern last summer, as the 2018 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow. One of the biggest focuses of the research program centers around autoimmune conditions and using biomarkers as a way to monitor disease activity and diagnose patients more quickly. The diagnostic and treatment processes for autoimmune conditions such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis can be long and arduous, so this research goes a long way towards improving the patient experience. This year, I’m responsible for guiding potential subjects through the informed consent process and coordinating with the medical staff to collect samples. This experience has taught me so much about the logistics of clinical research and how variable and unpredictable it can be at times.

In these past two years at AHN, I’ve learned that while I find many aspects of basic science and lab work fascinating, I really enjoy being more on the clinical side of things and working directly with people. It has been inspiring to interact with so many different kinds of people going through a difficult time but who are still willing to participate in research that could benefit someone else someday. Sometimes it can be difficult to see this kind of clinical research relates to the type of global issues that we discuss in GlobeMed, but I think it’s important to remember that global health starts with the individual. Global health equity can be pursued on every level from international initiatives to local partnerships to one single person who is struggling with a health problem.

Overall, I’m excited to see what more I can do and learn during the rest of my summer. It’s been great to take a break from Penn and spend some time exploring parts of my hometown that I didn’t know much about before. Hope you all are enjoying your summers, and I look forward to seeing everyone in the fall!