#ThrowbackThursday: "This I Believe"

#ThrowbackThursday: Ten Years ago, when I was a senior in high school, I had to write an essay on "This I Believe" for my Philosophy class. I decided to write that "I believe everyone needs a twin," based on my own experiences. Even though I wrote this piece back in 2007, I would still say the same thing today.

This I Believe

I felt bump after bump as I tumbled down the steps that fateful day when I was three years old. All I could feel was pain and all I could think was that I was heading towards my death at the bottom. Then I was miraculously saved from that horrid fate by the small arms of my twin brother as he reached out to catch me. As we have grown older my twin brother has continued to look out for me, and I have been able to help him in other situations. We share an extraordinary bond, which is why I believe that everyone needs a twin.

Many people think I am successful since I get good grades, am a decent athlete, and get along with everyone. Yet, I could never have become accomplished in these areas without my twin brother. I always have a study partner and someone to help me with my homework. There is always someone to push me when I am running or exercising. Growing up I was exposed to different people, like individuals of the opposite sex, through my twin brother. I owe my prosperity in life to the fact that I have a twin.

I admit that there are downsides to being a twin. There are the typical sibling rivalries and fights, the desire for solitude, and the struggle for an individual identity. My brother and I are always around one another, and it is often hard for us to distinguish ourselves as two distinct persons. We are known as “the twins” or “SamandClaire,” as if we are one being. Yet, the positives of twinship far outweigh the disadvantages.

As a twin, I always have someone there for me; someone who listens to me when I have a problem; someone who comforts me when I am upset; someone who truly understands me. My twin is simultaneously a friend and a family member. Sometimes we help each other pull through family conflicts, at others we can talk to each other about the issues between our friends. We support one another through difficult situations. Being a twin means that there is always someone to lend you an ear, a helping hand, or a comforting heart.

Being a twin means you are never alone. You always have a playmate, a confidant, a helper, a protector, and a friend. Having a twin helps individuals overcome the hardships and struggles of growing up in the world. Everybody needs a twin to make their lives easier in order to accomplish their goals and dreams. That is why I consider myself to be one of the luckiest people on the earth.

Bioethics and Household Air Pollution

For my thesis project in Toxicology, I have spent a lot of time investigating the biological effects of exposure to biomass smoke from household fires used for cooking food and providing heat. Using human lung cells and animal models, I examine how biomass smoke causes inflammatory lung diseases and respiratory infections. Along with collecting and analyzing experimental data, I often read about the interdisciplinary factors that play a role in the global health issue of biomass smoke inhalation. Through my PhD research, I have learned about socioeconomic dynamics, gender disparities, and cultural traditions that contribute to the burning of biomass fuels, in addition to the immunological impacts of household air pollution on the lung.

           
In relation to the sociocultural aspects of biomass smoke exposure, I think about bioethical issues related to household air pollution research. Most people who use biomass fuels have a low socioeconomic status and live in developing countries, leading to philosophical considerations to use this vulnerable population as biomedical research subjects. It is important to remember historical ethical violations with similar groups of people, such as the 1940s experiments in Guatemala where individuals were intentionally and unknowingly given sexually transmitted infections.  Immoral actions from the past should not be repeated with household air pollution studies. Additionally, there is a concern for paternalistic views in aiding individuals cooking with biomass fuels. Multinational groups often attempt to reduce biomass smoke-related health problems in developing countries; however, similar to Ivan Illich’s speech about negative aspects of missions in Mexico, “To Hell with Good Intentions,” the efforts to “help” may contribute to the use of biomass fuels. For example, many people continue to use household fires after receiving a “cleaner” cookstove due to religious beliefs, taste and cooking preferences, or an inability to fix or repair a cookstove. As a global health disparity issue, household air pollution also relates to the bioethical principle of justice. Some would argue in terms of social justice, that biomass smoke-induced diseases need to be addressed by our global society since it is attributed to social inequality. Yet, based on equality and need, who should receive the limited resource of more efficient energy? Along with hypothesizing how biomass smoke impairs the biology of the lung, I often think about philosophical issues related to biomass smoke exposure.

My interest in the relationship between science and ethics stems from my undergraduate minor in Biomedical Humanities. Courses examining complicity, death and dying, biology in the media, and more helped me understand how social views influence policies in science, as well as how science communication can impact perceptions of the field. I remember simultaneously learning tissue culture techniques in Biochemistry while reading the story about Henrietta Lacks and HeLa cells in “Genetics and Popular Culture.” This helped me understand both the scientific value of tissue culture for understanding the pathogenesis of diseases, as well as the importance of protecting the rights of human subjects in biomedical research. Furthermore, literature from these courses motivated me to pursue a PhD in Toxicology. A short story by Richard Selzer, “Luis,” made me want to prevent toxic exposures and cover-ups.  Briefly, the tale is about a trash dump scavenger who finds radioactive material and thinks it is a star, leading to the spread of radiation poisoning in a poor area of Brazil. This tragic tale brings up complex issues of culture, socioeconomic status, a history of inequality, as well as the perceptions and attitudes of healthcare professionals that lead to an environmental health problem. My previous experiences examining both the biological and social aspects of health problems shaped my interest in the interdisciplinary field of bioethics.  

Toxicology "Shake It Off"

Happy New Year! Over the holidays, I watched a lot of clips about the Broadway musical, "Hamilton." The show tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the U.S., through hip-hop music. I think music can grab a person's attention and allow them to hear an important message. In the spirit of this, I decided to write lyrics to discuss Toxicology, which I have been studying for the past few years. I hope you like my version of a popular pop song.

(sung to the tune of Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off")

Toxicology "Shake It Off"

What’s toxicology? What’s it got to do with me?
That's what people say mmm, that's what people say mmm
It’s the study of chemicals, and their effects on life
At least that's what textbooks say mmm, that's what textbooks say mmm

We keep studying, reading, won’t stop working
Since we got a lot to do and a lot to learn to be toxicologists

Who work for the EPA, A, A, A, A
Colleges or industry, E, E, E, E  
But we still have time to shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
We shake it off, we shake it off
We’ll study drugs in lakes, lakes, lakes, lakes
And poisons in foods we make, make, make, make
But we still have time to shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
We shake it off, we shake it off

We wanna help people, the earth, and animals
These are the goals you see mmm, these are the goals you see mmm
We treat cells with toxicants (cells with toxicants), and we use animal models (animal models)
To learn what folks don’t know mmm, to learn what folks don’t know mmm

We keep studying, reading, won’t stop working
Since we got a lot to do and a lot to learn to be toxicologists

Who work for the EPA, A, A, A, A
Colleges or industry, E, E, E, E  
But we still have time to shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
We shake it off, we shake it off
We’ll study drugs in lakes, lakes, lakes, lakes

And poisons in foods we make, make, make, make
But we still have time to shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
We shake it off, we shake it off

We shake it off, we shake it off

We shake it off, we shake it off

We shake it off, we shake it off

We shake it off, we shake it off

We just remember that Paracelsus said, “All things are poison and nothing is without poison; only the dose makes a thing not a poison.”

And then Silent Spring helped us see
The dangers of pesticides like DDT
Disasters like Love Canal made all of us aware

About the need for Tox studies and policies, yea, yea, 

We keep studying, reading, won’t stop working
Since we got a lot to do and a lot to learn to be toxicologists

Who work for the EPA, A, A, A, A
Colleges or industry, E, E, E, E  
But we still have time to shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
We shake it off, we shake it off
We’ll study drugs in lakes, lakes, lakes, lakes

And poisons in foods we make, make, make, make
But we still have time to shake, shake, shake, shake, shake

We shake it off, we shake it off  

Throwback Thursday: 2011 Biomedical Humanities Reflection

As an undergraduate at Hiram College, I minored in Biomedical Humanities. This interdisciplinary academic area involved scientific courses, service work, and medical humanities (the study of the intersection of medicine and humanities, such as philosophy, religion, literature, and the arts). For the Minor, I had to write a reflective essay on my experiences that helped me determine what I wanted to do after graduation, as well as present the piece to my peers. Now, I am currently in a similar situation to my senior year at Hiram, since I am hoping to defend my thesis in the upcoming spring. At this time in my life, I am often thinking about the future. However, on this #Throwback_Thursday, I decided to look back over my reflection on wanting to study Toxicology. Check it out at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9jdg-QyDgxHREFJVlR5cTQyczQ/view?usp=sharing. Reading back over this essay, which described my undergraduate enthusiasm for scientific research, study abroad experience in Guatemala, observations from shadowing healthcare workers, course work (ranging from Organic Chemistry to Humanities) that inspired me, and more, is reinvigorating. I can feel the energy and excitement from my younger self, and it makes me want to work hard to accomplish my goal of getting a PhD.    

Portrait of Pulmonary Fibrosis

I just wanted to post the "Portrait of Pulmonary Fibrosis" piece that I shared with the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF):

I'm Claire McCarthy from Rochester, NY and I'm 27 years old. As a PhD Student in Toxicology at the University of Rochester, a PFF Care Center Network site, I have become friends with individuals living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and their family members.

Q from PFF: What would surprise us to learn about you?

A: Before I joined the laboratory of Dr. Patricia Sime who is on the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Medical Advisory Board for my graduate studies, I had never heard of pulmonary fibrosis.

At lab meetings and working with my colleagues, I learned about the biology of lung scarring and the statistics of survival (showing that many people only live 3-5 years after diagnosis). This helped me realize the importance of scientific research for pulmonary fibrosis; however, meeting people living with the disease and their family members is what really allowed me to understand the impact that pulmonary fibrosis has on so many people.

For example, I’ll never forget the conversation that I had with a patient with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) who had a lung transplant. I asked him, “What does pulmonary fibrosis feel like?”

I was educated about the pathology of lung fibrosis in the lab, but had never really heard about the experience of a person with IPF. He told me he was never in pain, but he would walk up three steps and have to stop. He couldn’t catch his breath or get enough oxygen. He described how his disease progressed fairly quickly, like the low level of water that rapidly spirals down around the drain of a sink.

Then he discussed his recovery after his lung transplant. He said that when the intubation tube was taken out, his first inhale of air was like a baby’s first breath. He also discussed that when he was diagnosed with IPF, he went to church and asked God to help him deal with the illness. After that, he was never afraid.

Listening to the stories of other PF patients and their family members affected by pulmonary fibrosis changed my perspective.

Now I think about more than just the science of the disease, and remember the importance of interactions between researchers, clinicians, and families.

We all need to work together to both help people with pulmonary fibrosis in multiple aspects of their well-being and develop effective therapies for this illness.

Poems about Household Air Pollution 

As an undergraduate at Hiram College, I learned about the role of the humanities in science and medicine. I minored in Biomedical Humanities and discovered that the arts, including literature, can influence social views of healthcare and the relationships between scientists/clinicians, individuals coping with diseases, and the general public. This inspired me to use creative writing to share the importance of my thesis research related to the global health issue of exposure to biomass smoke from cooking fires.

Breathing Biomass Smoke

Watch the orange flames dancing underneath the pot

As the biomass fuel burns into a smoky haze

That fills your lungs as you stand in the kitchen spot

And surrounds your child as she plays

The smoke travels through the branches of your bronchial tree

Slithering down into the alveoli

Every time that water is boiled for a nourishing cup of tea

And when cooking hearty dishes, like a stir fry

The noxious compounds in the smoke target your lung cells

Leading to inflammation and cell death

Your macrophages turn black as they engulf particulate materials

And airway fibrosis makes it harder to catch your breath.

Inhaling the smoke and feeling it fill your expanding lungs every day

Unable to afford a “cleaner” fuel for your home

Years later, discovering that your lungs are undergoing destruction and decay

Which a doctor diagnoses as COPD, a respiratory syndrome

Children and Cookstoves

Your children have been breathing in cookstove smoke

Which snakes into their mouths and noses

It covers them and their airways like a thick, grey cloak

And creeps around your baby as she dozes

The smoke collides with your children’s lung cells and disrupts their immunity

Making them susceptible to respiratory pathogens

Including bacteria and viruses that float throughout the community

Covertly infecting your kids as they play with their friends

Although the cells of the lung attempt to mount defenses,

The smoke impairs their immune signaling

Leading to severe symptoms and disease consequences

You see in your feverish child who is constantly coughing

A doctor says she has pneumonia after listening to her lungs

Which is the leading cause of death among children under five

Especially in families at the bottom of the energy ladder rungs

Who struggle to earn a living and survive

     

Mad Scientist Recipes

Each week, everyone in my biomedical research lab comes together for a meeting. At this "lab meeting," we discuss technical issues or upcoming events in the lab and a trainee presents his/her recent data. These informal presentations are a forum for my fellow graduate students and me to get feedback about our experiments, troubleshooting suggestions, and ideas for the next step with our thesis work. It is also the place where our mentor will randomly test our knowledge and ask us questions about biology, just to keep us on our toes. Since our meeting is in the morning, the person (or people) presenting will bring a breakfast treat to share with the lab. For me, I like to get creative and combine my love of baking with my passion for pulmonary research. I start looking at recipes a week ahead of time to try and make delicious muffins, breads, cakes, or cookies that relate to a scientific concept or health issue. I often bake things related to my research project, which is investigating the effects of exposure to biomass smoke from cooking fires. I've made "lung on a chip" (chocolate covered potato chips with lungs made of either Oreo truffles or icing), 3-stone (a.k.a. cadbury egg) fire peanut butter muffins, pulmonary circulation sweet potato bread, cookstove cupcakes (see picture below), and more. If you want to try some cool science themed recipes and/or learn a little bit about lung diseases, check out the cookbook ("Lung-on-a-Chip" and More Mad Scientist Recipes) that my friends and I put together at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9jdg-QyDgxHdkNkR0k3VGdkU28/view?usp=sharing.