STAR Leads the Way to Research

The light from a unique star lit the career path for Danielle Daniely.

After participating in the Medical College of Georgia’s STAR (Student Training And Research) Program, an intensive 10-week exploration of a career in biomedical science, a doctorate was clearly her next goal. 

In 2003, the Macon, Ga., native was a junior at Paine College when she heard about the STAR program from its director, Dr. Patricia Cameron.

“I was leaning more toward medical school and I figured if I did the STAR Program, I would know by the end -- and I did,” says Danielle, now a first-year physiology student at MCG. “This was the best choice for me. If I do decide to go to medical school, I’ll feel better about it having a background in the graduate program.”

Danielle was accepted into several graduate programs nationwide but chose MCG largely because of her STAR experience. She found her summer mentor, Dr. Clinton Webb, chair of the Department of Physiology, through the program’s online profile of participating faculty.

“Dr. Webb made it really easy to ask questions, and I had a lot of questions,” says Danielle. “He put responsibility on me for the first time to do something I had never done before. And I saw myself perform in a way I didn’t think I could before.”

A fourth of STAR graduates go on to enroll at MCG, according to Dr. Cameron, who also serves as assistant dean for recruitment and admissions in the School of Graduate Studies.

“Our goal is to get talented students into graduate school,” says Dr. Webb. “Students who come through this program are competitive and they’re applying to major graduate programs across the country. This gives them a chance to learn more about MCG. I think we’re really lucky to have the STAR Program.”

The program evolved from a program called SMURP (Summer MCG Undergraduate Research Program) that began in 2000. STAR workshops, discussion groups and laboratory demonstrations not only give students a closer look at biomedical research but “increase their academic, intellectual and emotional maturity,” says Dr. Cameron.

Danielle agrees. “Some people will find that this is not for them, and that’s a good thing to find out early. [But] if you have a spark for research, it will grow in this program.”

“Our goal is for participants to leave with an understanding of their personal contribution to a particular laboratory project as   well as with a comprehensive understanding of the broader scientific research area,” says Dr. Cameron.

  Participants prepare a scientific paper and present their research at the end of the session. Danielle says the challenges of conducting experiments, compiling data and working under a deadline prepared her well for graduate life.

“Trying to complete all these experiments back-to-back to get enough data was rough, but it was an enriching experience,” she says. “At the end, I think I wrote a pretty good paper. Now, in the lab, you see that everybody has deadlines, back-to-back-to-back.”

For more information about the MCG STAR Program, visit www.mcg.edu/GradStudies/STARHome.

--Ellen Gladden

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Ms. Christiano Named Director

Michelle Christiano, interim director of the Office of Clinical Trials Compliance at the Medical College of Georgia since August 2004, has been named director.

The office, established in 1997, oversees all clinical research at MCG, MCG Health System and Augusta’s Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

The office reviews clinical studies and provides education and training for everyone involved in clinical research, from researchers to study coordinators to support staff. The office also provides administrative support for MCG’s Institutional Review Board, which reviews and approves clinical trial protocols.

Mrs. Christiano joined the Office of Clinical Trials Compliance in 1997 as compliance coordinator for the Institutional Review Board.

She served as assistant director of the office in 2000-04, including a year as interim director.

She has served as MCG’s human protections administrator for the Office of Human Research Protections of the Department of Health and Human Services since 2001 and is a 1989 graduate of Augusta Technical Institute. She will complete her undergraduate degree in management from Augusta State University this summer, then begin graduate school. She is certified as a clinical research coordinator and an Institutional Review Board professional and manager.

She is a member of the National Association of Institutional Review Board Managers, the Applied Research Ethics National Association and the Association of Clinical Research Professionals.

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Courses Refine Communication Skills

Ask scientists how they developed the communications skills involved in research -- grant-writing, developing an abstract, making a presentation -- and often the answer is, “There was no class for this, so we learned by the seat of our pants,” says Dr. Edward Inscho, Medical College of Georgia professor of physiology. “When you do that, there are lots of mistakes.”

The School of Graduate Studies recently developed two courses to help young scientists avoid   those mistakes.

The courses -- Scientific Communications, required for first-year Ph.D. students, and Scientific Grant Writing, an elective for second-year students -- teach skills researchers have traditionally developed on the job, says Dr. Gretchen Caughman, associate dean in the School of Graduate Studies. Coursework includes instruction on writing a curriculum vitae, identifying funding agencies, networking at scientific meetings and preparing lecture materials.

“It’s never too early to start learning the scientific communications skills these courses offer,” says Dr. Caughman. “Many similar programs across the nation are recognizing the benefits of having a formal course for these skills, but I think we are leading    the way by providing them to students in their first year as required curriculum.”

The scientific communications course, introduced in 2002 and taught by Dr. Inscho, evolved from a larger, combined course on scientific communication and research ethics developed by Dr. Lowell Greenbaum, Dean Emeritus of the School of Graduate Studies. Dr. Matthew Kluger, Dr. Greenbaum’s successor, teaches the ethics component in a separate course called Responsible Conduct of Research.

“With both of these areas, you could pick up the skills from your mentor over time, but a class is a much more efficient means of delivering that information in a non-threatening way,” says Dr. Caughman.

Introduced in 2003, the grant-writing course is led by Dr. Mike Brands, professor of physiology, and co-directed by Dr. Wendy Bollag, professor of medicine in the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics. Ron Geller, former director of extramural affairs at the National Institutes of Health, presents a guest lecture, and MCG faculty members lecture on specific areas of grant-writing and present former grant applications for a mock review session.

“What’s remarkable is how professionally the students act,” says Dr. Brands. “Without ever having done a review session before, they really take it seriously and argue the score. They are amazed that they can spend months working on the grant and its fate is decided in 10 minutes.”

Both courses cover how to write concise research summaries, a skill the course directors remember agonizing over early in their research careers.

“The first abstract I wrote took me two or three weeks and I was terrified,” says Dr. Inscho. “I’d give it to my advisor and he’d tear it all up and I’d start again. You don’t get these skills all at once, but if you’ve been told early, there’s a better chance you’ll take advantage of your opportunities.”

“I think it just takes practice,” says Dr. Brands. “The first NIH grant I wrote got a horrible score. I had no practice and was afraid to share it with anyone. You have to get used to asking your colleagues for feedback, getting comments   and rewriting.”

Feedback suggests that students appreciate the experience. “…The faculty put an extreme amount of thought and work into the planning and execution of the course and invested much in helping the students succeed,” wrote a student of the fall 2004 grant-writing class. “From corresponding with successful predoctoral candidates across the country, [I know] this is an opportunity that not all Ph.D. students have. It was an experience that I feel privileged to have had.”

--Ellen Gladden

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