The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
What is your hometown?
Durant, Iowa
When did you join The University of Iowa faculty?
1996
How/when did you become interested in science and medicine?
As far back as I can remember I’ve been interested in science and medicine. I didn’t think of it as a job, but I’ve been interested in it even as a kid and specifically interested in the brain. I didn’t know anyone in science, which is probably why I didn’t think of it as a career path. I went toward a helping profession, psychology, the softest science. And then once I discovered neuropsychology, I was hooked.
Why did you decide to pursue a career in your field?
Once I realized I could do something that was so intellectually stimulating and challenging like neuroscience, and could actually do it in a way that I could still work with people and try to impact people’s lives in a positive way, it was a very easy path for me. And it continues to be. I love what I do. I’ve never had to do anything that I don’t love doing. I truly enjoy my job and I feel fortunate that I do.
How or why did you choose The University of Iowa?
UI has a good reputation, and in particular in the neurosciences. It had outstanding researchers in both departments, and I felt comfortable coming to a university that had that reputation of excellence. In addition, my family was here, and my husband and I had very fond memories of growing up in Iowa. We knew that it’s a good place to raise kids.
How does your work help translate new medical discoveries into patient-centered care and education?
I see research that simply does not get translated into people’s lives. Patients started describing this breakdown between what we knew in the neurosciences and what they witnessed in their day-to-day lives. So the first thing I did was simply write more lay articles. I spent a lot of time teaching families and patients.
It became clear that there were a lot of components of science that could change other aspects of patients’ daily lives, and the most notable component right now is clinical trials. We’ve known a lot about certain brain diseases for decades and yet have been unable to treat them. Now we can test many more chemical compounds, which is good timing because there are a lot of chemical compounds right now that we want test. In addition to just drug trials, there are other methods that we want to try, like gene therapy and stem cell treatments. I think the only way to facilitate trying more treatments for persons with brain damage or disease is really improving the methodology so we can do that in the most efficient and ethical manner.
What professional opportunities or advantages does being a faculty member at an academic medical center provide?
One advantage is the exposure to the students. You can really capture someone when they’re at that very hungry part of their lives and they want to learn. When you work with a fellow or a student or a junior faculty member who is so excited about what they’re learning, you become more excited as well.
Another advantage is the intellectual stimulation. It’s so easy to do things your own way over and over, particularly as you get accustomed to a certain field where you’re as specialized as I am. I like having that opportunity for my colleagues to constantly challenge me about the way I’m thinking, about the way I’m designing experiments, about the way I’m applying the data and interpreting the data and applying the results to real life. And I think that really keeps me much more on my toes more than another environment would.
What are your professional interests?
I’m interested in understanding brain mechanisms under complicated social and intellectual behaviors. I find that mental health is one of the primary reasons that people excel in their lives and in their jobs and find satisfaction, as well as one of the reasons that holds people back professionally and personally. And not to say that physical health isn’t just as important, but my emphasis really is on mental and emotional health and understanding brain processes and how we can maximize those to maximize our potential in our lives.
How does working in an academic medical center benefit your work?
It’s a very exciting time right now because the College of Medicine deans and presidents have just announced that neurosciences will be one of the new emphases of the strategic planning. It’s a new opportunity to build new bridges and collaborate with one another with all the amazing scientists we have here at The University of Iowa to all join together and better understand the brain.
What are some of your outside interests?
My family is my number one outside interest. I love spending time with not just my husband and kids but my sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews and parents.
We also enjoy being at our home in the country outside Solon. We enjoy our horses, organic gardening and the little bit of farming we do. I enjoy helping our kids understand what a sustainable environment might look like and how they can be more aware of where their food and energy comes from. It’s very rewarding being close to nature and spending time outside.
What philosophy guides your professional work?
There are some basic philosophies that I feel pretty strongly about, and one is to always strive for excellence. Secondly, I really am an advocate for collaborative work. I find that progress has been hindered by tunnel vision and that our best work comes forth when we’re challenged not just by colleagues in our own profession, but colleagues in many different professions and walks of life. So a basic philosophy for me really is a collaborative spirit where we include all views, all opinions, all methodologies and all paths.
If you could change one thing about the world (or the world of medicine), what would it be?
To break down barriers, and not just in the world of medicine. That people would all work together toward the greater good and toward a common goal. And that’s why I think the families are one of the most important components of a research design. What does the participant think and what is their input into the research project?
I think the research that we’re doing is breaking many barriers, and I hope it’s an example for others to do the same. Our research is worldwide, we’re trying to be inclusive with who we work with, and we’re trying to share data. The wealth of information that we’ve obtained is much greater than what could have been obtained from a single-site study.
What has been the biggest change in your field since you were a student?
Technology is the biggest change. It’s been great for brain study that we can visualize and measure components of the brain “in vivo.” It’s nice that we can image things and do all of that without causing any harm to the participants.
What piece of advice do you have for today's students?
Follow your heart and do what puts a fire in your belly. If you do what you believe in and feel strongly about, you will make a great impact and you’ll have the energy at the end of the day to do it again. Don’t go into a field because your parent was in the field or because it gives you some label you need, but because you’re really interested in it and it’s going to stimulate you in ways that keep you energized.
What do you see as the future of medicine?
Technology has offered us so much more information about medicine and health care, and yet so little has been applied to change one’s day to day life. I think the effort to make it translational and make a difference in people’s lives is the right effort. And I hope that we will start to see that occur where we can see tangible outcomes for the work that’s being put into it. But I think the future of medicine depends on working together with economists, policy makers, the public and the consumer and figuring out together how we can build a system that’s going to maximize health care.
In what ways are you engaged with the greater Iowa public (i.e., population based research, mentoring high school students, sharing your leadership/expertise with organizations or causes, speaking engagements off campus, etc.)?
I do a lot of speaking. It’s something that’s comfortable for me, translating science so that everyone can appreciate what’s being done. I’ve served as an appointee of the governor for a state conference on aging.
I also have gone to K–12 schools every year to teach them about the brain. I find it very enjoyable. I usually take some of my lab with me so they can appreciate how much knowledge they’ve gained. We also frequently have high school students and students from many of the local colleges rotate through the lab. We try to keep the lab open to people learning about the brain and research as well as clinical care so they can mirror us and learn about the exciting things that can occur in a science lab. I think many people perceive it as boring until they’re in it.
We’ve also worked with a lot of care facilities in Iowa, training them about brain disease. And we’ve participated in fundraising efforts for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Autism Speaks, the Alzheimer’s Association and the Huntington’s Disease Society of America.