Year 2 medical student, Madeleine provides an insight into her summer lab internship in the Institute for Regeneration and Repair and how it has cemented her desire to incorporate research into her medical career.
My name is Madeleine, and I am from Vancouver, Canada, entering my second year of medical school. This summer, I worked with the Elaine Emmerson Research Group based in the Institute for Regeneration and Repair at the University of Edinburgh as a Medical Research Scotland-funded intern for six weeks under the mentorship of PhD student Erin Watson and lab supervisor Dr. Elaine Emmerson.
This lab’s overall aim is to develop a regenerative strategy to restore damaged salivary glands in patients who have received radiotherapy for head and neck cancers. The destruction of saliva-producing cells results in numerous oral problems which greatly diminish patients’ quality of life and there are currently no long-term treatment options.
Research recently conducted by the Emmerson lab has highlighted macrophages’ crucial role in regeneration after irradiation, which suggests a potential to manipulate macrophages to promote tissue repair. In order to investigate the subpopulations of macrophages within the salivary gland and their respective roles in regeneration, my project aimed to develop a protocol for a tissue-resident macrophage culture system derived from a primary digest of murine salivary glands. At present, no such protocol exists. Ultimately, a macrophage culture system could be used by the lab to study macrophage behaviour and how this changes with radiation.
Pursuing my scientific interest with leaders in the field
Prior to this internship, I had an interest in stem cells and regenerative medicine, but little practical experience. One of the reasons I chose to attend the University of Edinburgh was due to its pioneering research in this field and the opportunities for students to become involved. Dr. Emmerson’s distinguished and clinically relevant work immediately stood out to me.
During a typical day, I primarily performed experiments for my project, such as conducting flow cytometry or immunofluorescence staining to investigate the specific composition of cells within my culture system. Once I felt confident in a specific technique after some training, the lab encouraged me to act independently. It was incredibly empowering to have the freedom to apply my knowledge while knowing I had support when needed. Additionally, I had the opportunity to meet other PhD students working in different labs, so during my spare time, I shadowed them and obtained training on various other techniques. I also attended departmental seminars, journal clubs, and weekly lab meetings.
Throughout my internship, I had the privilege of meeting many inspiring people, including the PhD students and other researchers I worked with. Their leadership, willingness to help others, and perseverance, even when an experiment didn’t produce favourable results, are aspirational qualities that I’d like to emulate during my career.
A moving experience bringing a new perspective to my research
Moreover, I also met Gina and Katie, the wife and sister-in-law of Frank, who developed xerostomia (chronic dry mouth) as a result of receiving radiotherapy for cancer. Sadly, Frank took his own life last year due to the debilitating effects of xerostomia, which left him facing difficulties with eating, sleeping, and communicating. Frank’s condition was dismissed by medical professionals and his family received little information about the condition and treatment options.
Now, Gina and Katie are sharing Frank’s story to raise awareness of xerostomia and advocate for better treatment options. This experience was extremely moving; it provided a profound perspective on my research, reminding me of the ultimate aims of my work and reinforcing the importance of empathy and active listening in clinical practice.
Although I entered this internship with an interest in incorporating research into my medical career, I now leave with full confidence in my desire to explore this path further. I highly recommend other students to consider a summer internship, as well as look into Medical Research Scotland and their Undergraduate Vacation Scholarship, which funded my research. It is truly an amazing experience to be involved in the advancement of medical techniques, technology, or scientific literature that our generation of medical students may someday utilize in our future clinical practice.
