Personal Statement - Rutgers New Jersey Medical School



FELLOWSHIP APPLICANT BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHNAME OF FELLOWSHIP APPLICANTJill KonowichPOSITION TITLEMD/PhD candidateeRA COMMONS USER NAME (credential, e.g., agency login)KonowichJ EDUCATION/TRAINING (Begin with baccalaureate or other initial professional education, such as nursing, and include postdoctoral training.)INSTITUTION AND LOCATIONDEGREE(if applicable)YEAR(s)FIELD OF STUDYMassachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)B.S.2006BiologyRutgers- New Jersey Medical School (Rutgers-NJMS)MD/PhD2007-presentImmunology/MicrobiologyPersonal StatementMy medical research career blossomed soon after my matriculation at MIT. Under the tutelage of Dr. Christine Ortiz, I participated in the pre-UROP, an introduction to MIT’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), in the biological material science and engineering field. We sought to devise a more pliable biomaterial for use as an endotracheal tube in order to prevent damage to the vocal chords during intubation of patients requiring ventilator support. I helped conduct experiments on prospective material candidates through tensile testing, FTIR & microscopic imaging, gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, and MFP thermomicroscopy. It was here that I was first exposed to the importance of research and how its translation could improve healthcare practices and the quality of life for many patients.Because of my inclination toward a career in medicine, I performed laboratory rotations in 2003 with Dr. Daniel Fine at UMDNJ (now Rutgers-NJDS) studying genetic diversity of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans strains isolated from juvenile periodontitis patients, and from 2003-2004 I completed a UROP at the neuroendocrine unit at MGH to analyze methylation of DNA promoter sequences in several pituitary and glioma tumors. Although I enjoyed my role at MGH, I was hoping to find a lab where I could become more involved in planning and designing experiments to become more fully incorporated in the discovery process. With Dr. Martha Gray at the Harvard Institutes of Medicine, I seized the opportunity to develop my own project as part of my undergraduate thesis requirement. We developed a model for studying osteoarthritis in vitro. Using bovine chondrocytes that were subjected to shear stress in order to mimic physiological stress exerted on cartilage, we evaluated chondrocyte destruction and remodeling by assaying for incorporation and metabolism of [32P] radio-labeled glycosaminoglycans and evaluated expression of matrix regulators of cartilage production and destruction, GADD45??and MMP13, respectively. Beyond my thesis project, we utilized functional MRI, a technique pioneered by Dr. Gray, to image articular cartilage in human subjects to evaluate cartilage destruction and regeneration after strenuous physical activity. I also helped to design and build a drill press for boring specimens from tibial plateaus obtained from post knee arthroplasty patients. These specimens would be analyzed further for presence of articular cartilage and their ability to withstand mechanical stress. Dr. Gray afforded me the opportunity to have more responsibilities and creative freedom, allowing me to truly experience being a scientist. I also was selected to be a Teaching Assistant for the laboratory based Introduction to Exploratory Biology and Communication course at MIT. I excelled at and thoroughly enjoyed teaching and mentoring students. These experiences strongly encouraged me to pursue an MD/PhD.As part of the MD/PhD program, we are required to perform three mandatory rotations in a lab of our choice. Since I had developed a wide range of interests, I rotated in three different fields: pharmacology and physiology, biochemistry, and immunology. Based on my past experience, I wished to pursue a project that would introduce me to new techniques, challenge me, and have a direct application towards disease treatment and prevention. My first rotation was in Dr. Janine Santos’s laboratory where my research focused on utilizing siRNA technology to knockdown hTERT in human cell lines and elucidate the biological roles that nuclear and mitochondrial hTERT contribute toward tumor development. Next, I rotated in Dr. Elizabeth Moran’s laboratory and studied the ATP-powered chromatin remodeling subunit, the SWI/SNF complex with interchangeable protein subunits, ARID1A and ARID1B, and its role in tumor development. By developing stable ARID1B knockouts in human osteosarcoma (OA) cells using adenovirus and siRNA technology, we examined how this complex affects the loss of cell-cycle regulation exhibited in OA. Although I started my PhD program in this lab, I realized that I had developed a great appreciation for and interest in immunology; several lectures during the Infection and Host Response class (which integrated the fields of microbiology and immunology) truly sparked my interest in the immunological basis for disease. I found myself enthralled by the war the immune system mounts against the invading pathogens. Thus, I desired to find a laboratory that would afford me the opportunity to study immunology in an infectious disease setting. NJMS could provide me with this opportunity because of its extensive and prestigious Immunology department. Despite my limited experience in immunology, I felt confident diving into a new field where I could apply my strong foundation in laboratory skills, scientific communication, and teaching and continue to cultivate my skills as a scientist. I rotated in Dr. Padmini Salgame’s laboratory studying the role of Toll-like Receptor 2 (TLR2) in the host immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). During this rotation, I felt an extreme passion and enthusiasm for the research, and I realized I had found my niche.Over the past three years, I have developed a great student-mentor relationship with Dr. Salgame, who is highly reputed for her innovative work in the mycobacterial field and has successfully trained many pre and postdoctoral students. My thesis work, as outlined in this application, involves using radiation bone marrow chimeras to determine the role of TLR2 in nonhematopoietic and hematopoietic cells during Mtb infection. Other projects in the lab I have contributed significantly toward include: (1) comparing the roles of TLR1, TLR6, and TLR2 in Mtb infection to determine how signaling through the heterodimeric receptors TLR2/1 and TLR2/6 modulate the host immune response to TB infection in mice, (2) evaluating the mechanism by which TLR2 signaling in antigen presenting cells elicits recruitment of Tregulatory cells to the lung during Mtb infection (a manuscript was recently submitted to PLOS Pathogens on this work), and (3) evaluating the role of CCR4 and recruitment of cells to the lungs of Mtb-infected mice.I have chosen to extend my PhD phase in Dr. Salgame’s lab to further investigate the mechanisms behind my findings in the hopes of publishing in a high profile journal. My work thus far has provided me with training in animal research and working with an infectious disease model. I continue to participate in career development activities such as grant writing, presenting my work at school functions such as the Graduate School Symposium, creating posters and submitting abstracts to conferences such as AAI, Keystone Symposia on Tuberculosis, the New England Immunology Conference, attending weekly seminars, and attending and presenting in Immunology Journal Club and Tuberculosis Club. I even had the honor of being chosen to give an oral presentation at the Symposium on Innate Immune Mechanisms Controlling Inflammation and Infection last year. These activities continue to provide me with a solid foundation in immunology and infectious disease and further my career towards becoming a physician scientist. By working with Dr. Padmini Salgame in the Center for Emerging & Reemerging Pathogens, I have found a way to fulfill this desire and further my career as a physician scientist while working at one of the nation’s premiere centers for studying tuberculosis. My goal is to apply to a research track based residency and continue my career in immunology at an academic institution.B. Positions and HonorsAcademic and Professional Honors:AP scholar with distinction (2002)Mount Holyoke Leadership Scholarship (2002)Alicia Brager Scholarship (2002)Edward J. Bloustein Scholar (2002)High School Valedictorian (Ranking 1/203)Featured Young Alumni in the Casey Connection (2009)I3 selected speaker for I3 retreat day (2012, 2013)Selected speaker at National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine at NJMS (2012)Selected speaker at the Innate Immune Mechanisms Controlling Inflammation and Infection Symposium (2013)Featured student in the NJMS pulse magazine (in press, Winter 2014)Activities:Integrated Clinical Experience (ICE) elective for MD/PhD students (2012-present)NJMS CALM tutor (2007-present)Student Family Health Clinic [to improve and continue clinical skills] (2007-present)NJMS Student Ambassador [Host MD/PhD applicants] (2011-present)MICU Preceptorship [shadowing on pulmonary consult service under Dr. Cohen] (2011-2012)Graduate School Student Council Secretary (2011-2012)C. Publications1.?????? McBride A., Konowich, J. and Salgame, P.? Host Defense and Recruitment of Foxp3+ T Regulatory Cells to the Lungs in Chronic Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection Requires Toll-like Receptor 2.? 2.?????? Konowich, J., McBride A., and Salgame, P.? Equivalent contribution of TLR1/2 and TLR2/6 heterodimers in host resistance against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.? Manuscript in preparation.3. Konowich, J., Rafi, W., Dietzold, J., Gopalakrishnan, A., and Salgame, P. A foil to itself: TLR2 signaling protects and damages host tissue during Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Manuscript in preparation. ................
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