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Ken Abe
B.S. in Nutrition Science
University of California - Berkeley
After graduation from U.C. Berkeley, I arrived in the nation's capital at Georgetown University's Physiology department. Why study physiology? For that matter, what is physiology? Very simply, it is the study of how the biological organism works. We study physiology since it is so closely related to human health and disease. Today, cardiovascular disease is one of the top causes of mortality in developed nations. My particular research interest lies in atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and vascular restenosis (closing of the arteries after surgical intervention, such as balloon angioplasty). As a part of Dr. Zukowska's laboratory, we are studying how neural peptides play a part in the pathology and development of this disease, focusing on how these peptides are involved in stress.
Like many departments, the first two years focuses on course work in basic sciences, and eventually to advanced classes in particular areas of study, often times, relating to your interest, such as renal physiology or cardiovascular physiology. The faculty here have been an enriching experience, since all are approachable for questions and guidance. After coming here from a large undergraduate school, it is truly a welcome enviornment.
I have been here for 3 years, and finished the thesis proposal last April. Currently, I am working on finishing experiments for the next thesis committee meeting, and eventually for the thesis defense. Like many past doctoral graduates in this department, the options for future careers are boundless. Some have become faculty instructors, gone to post-doctoral studies in academia, private research institutions, pursued medical doctorate degrees, worked as consultants, and even law.
In short, the Georgetown experience as a graduate student has been fantastic that can provide many fruitful opportunities.
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