Gene Hsiao (gene@ucsd.edu)

Program:  Bioengineering
Lab PI: Dr Shankar Subramaniam
Undergraduate Institution: University of California, Irvine
Clinical training area in Med-into-Grad: Diabetes
Main clinical mentors: (Name(s) and email addresses):
Sunder Mudaliar (Sunder.Mudaliar@va.gov)

Quote:  “I learned much more about diagnostics and therapeutics than I would have on my own. As it stands today, there are several de facto diagnostic techniques for type II diabetes; each with their own caveats. The more robust and telling diagnostic for insulin-sensitivity is impractical to attain, and therefore presents a curious prospect needing further development.”

Rationale for Med-inito-Grad training:
Medical Training and Identification of medically-relevant research issues:
Training in diagnostics & therapeutics, and identification of unmet diagnostic & therapeutic needs:
Diagnostic, therapeutic, and Research collaborations:
Long term impact.:
Advice for new trainees--Autumn preparatory quarter:
Advice for new trainees--Winter clinical training quarter:
Take home perspective on Med-into-Grad at UCSD:

Rationale for Med-into-Grad training: I am working with Dr. Shankar Subramaniam of Bioengineering, Dr. Jerrold Olefsky and Dr. Dorothy Sears of Medicine to develop new methods for functional genomics in the context of the diabetes mellitus disorder. I am currently developing a new visualization and statistical tool to help determine pathway enrichment of microarray data, while extending a sophisticated microarray statistical framework – known as VAMPIRE – for various experimental designs. Also, I am performing correlation analyses on gene expression data, serum metabolite data, and clinical characteristics in order to help elucidate the molecular defects underlying human insulin-resistance. Despite my spending time trying to understand diabetes from the text, I knew that my knowledge with the disease was very limited. I believed that I would benefit enormously from the structured program and hands-on experience that this program offers.

Medical training and identification of medically-relevant research issues: I attended case conferences, grand rounds, and shadowed physicians in the endocrine clinic. Case conferences highlighted interesting diabetes cases and introduced me to the clinical jargon. Grand rounds were weekly presentations which highlighted emerging research in the field of endocrinology, further presenting new avenues for translational research. Perhaps the most involved and rewarding activity was the shadowing of various practitioners. Here, I met many patients who suffer from the condition and observed how the practitioners presented the best possible treatment for each individual given their lifestyle, history, and other confounding factors.

Training in diagnostics & therapeutics, and identification of unmet diagnostic & therapeutic needs:  I learned much more about diagnostics and therapeutics than I would have on my own. As it stands today, there are several de facto diagnostic techniques for type II diabetes; each with their own caveats. The more robust and telling diagnostic for insulin-sensitivity is impractical to attain, and therefore presents a curious prospect needing further development.

Diagnostic & Therapeutic collaborations:  The first step is basic science research. My advisors and I are currently investigating the mechanisms of human insulin resistance and thiazolidinedione-mediated insulin sensitization at a system-wide level with high-throughput microarrays.

Research collaborations:  I did not develop any research collaborations, but I did meet many knowledgeable and excited people who were very open to the idea of a future collaboration.

Long term impact:  The most important new perspective I got from Med-into-Grad training was essentially to not forget the forest for the trees – e.g. a potential therapeutic agent might work well at the molecular level, but what might be more important is its effect on the system-wide, whole-body level.

Student-specific experiences:  The training definitely opened my eyes to clinical research and the avenues through which I can possibly contribute.

Advice for new trainees:  Go to all the activities! The best way to learn is by complete immersion. Also, carry Drs Edelman and Henry’s textbook with you everywhere. If you bump into him, maybe he’ll be gracious to sign it.

Take home perspective on Med-into-Grad at UCSD:  I love it, and I’d do it again. I would recommend this program to anyone investigating any disease.