GCU students head stateside thanks to new partnership
Two GCU students from the Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences have been given the opportunity to learn how researchers are helping tackle the world’s most complex diseases.
Karleigh Fraser and Scott Reid spent two weeks in September at the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) headquarters in Washington, which employs more than 18,000 people.
The pilot project, set up in partnership between GCU and NIH, gave Karleigh and Scott a fascinating insight into clinical trials and the work being done to improve the health and lives of millions across America.
We caught up with them both to find out more about their time at one of the world’s largest research centres.
How did this opportunity all come about?
Karleigh: “It’s something completely new but I had previously heard about other students going to Hong Kong for exchange. In first year we were told about all the different opportunities available to us, but this was something that only came up as an announcement at the start of 2023.
“I’m someone who’s really keen to travel and knew I would enjoy it. I also knew that I had to start getting some experience on my CV so I just thought I would give it a shot. I saw it was self-funded, but I felt it was all manageable.”
Scott: “I basically got an email from my lecturer, Janice Taylor, telling me to consider applying. I decided to go for it and there was then a short interview. The whole process was only a few months between applying and going. NIH has a $45 billion budget for all the different clinical trials and deals with new drugs aimed at tackling things like cancer. It was something I really wanted to see for myself.”
Tell me more about the actual project and what NIH are involved in?
Scott: “Karleigh and I were based in the Translational Biobehavioral Branch, and we got to meet different researchers and learn about their work. There was a bunch of projects, and it was an opportunity for us to hear about the different clinical trials taking place. We got to see the process of these new experimental drugs and find out what goes into the safety testing and the other processes behind it.
“The whole focus is on rare diseases that there is currently no cure for. The patients at the hospital weren’t charged for their treatment, but if someone was to have access to the same drug it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The person getting the specific drug are the first in the world and no-one really knows what’s going to happen to them - but it’s basically that drug or nothing so the individuals are prepared to take the risk. It was explained to them that the drug might not specifically help them, but it will help improve the situation for others in the future.”
Karleigh: “I’d done my research and realised how big the NIH was – I’d known about it for some time through citing it in different essays. Just by looking online you could see the size of the place and it was obviously hugely impressive that it’s the world’s largest hospital dedicated to clinical research. We needed to get a background check to even get onto the premises because it’s federal grounds.
“They’ve also got this unique approach called ‘bench to bedside’ where you have the research labs and patients' hospital beds just down the corridor from each other. We got the opportunity to speak to these different researchers and it all just seemed so personalised. It was just a really unique experience.”
How did it feel to experience science on the frontline and witness the ground-breaking research being done?
Karleigh: “It was fascinating to see. These are people with conditions that are only being treated at the NIH, they’re literally coming from all over the world to take part in these clinical trials because there’s no other option available. We couldn’t see patients in their rooms or anything, but we did see quite a few walking around. It does hit you more because you’re actually seeing the people and you’re not just working away in a lab, so you do feel more attached. All the researchers knew every detail about the patients, even down to their family tree and the possibility of these diseases being hereditary.”
What was your favourite part of the project?
Scott: “I really enjoyed it all. We got the chance to go to a few guest speakers and hear from people who developed new drugs – that was particularly interesting. We got to meet the people who created the covid vaccines and heard about how they basically came up with them.”
Karleigh: “I enjoyed the full two weeks, there wasn’t a day I didn’t enjoy. I loved the National Institute of Health and I actually felt really close to the members of staff I worked with. They were all saying that we were part of the team now and welcome back any time – it’s certainly a good place to have these connections in place!
“I also really enjoyed getting to speak to some of the researchers and hearing about the different research they were involved in. We couldn’t get too hands on in terms of practical work, but I think that’s something that will come with the placement development in future.”
Did you also get some time to see the sights of Washington, DC?
Karleigh: “Absolutely! We were actually encouraged by our lecturers and the staff at NIH to go and experience America. Scott and I managed to go out and see everything for ourselves – the museums in the city are all free so that was a definite bonus. We got to go to Virginia as well, which was particularly handy for me since I have family there.
“I can see this placement changing a lot in the future, and I think it will maybe be extended from two weeks to a month. We were back at uni the day after coming home but if that hadn’t been the case then I think we would definitely have made the effort to go to the likes of New York or Delaware.”
Scott: “The main thing that stood out to me was the size of the whole place. It’s so much bigger than Glasgow, but it really is a great city. We got the opportunity to see all the sights but could have easily spent more time there.”
How beneficial was it for you to have this experience at this point in your career?
Karleigh: “I think it’s really helpful if you’re like me and sitting on the fence about whether you want to go into research and do a Postgraduate degree or PHD, or you’re maybe thinking about working in a community or hospital-based lab. There are so many options, and it can make you a bit flustered. Having that chance to see everything in front of me really gave me an insight into what clinical research is all about.
“I also feel like I came out of it a more confident person. I was there with Scott, and we travelled together and shared an Air Bnb together, which was one part, but we also had to speak up and ask questions to these researchers. I used to always avoid asking questions in lectures and tutorials because I was worried what other people would think, but that’s definitely changed now.”
Scott: “This was such an amazing experience at such an important time for me. When we were there they basically said that because this is on the CV we’ll have no problem getting a PHD if we want to go and do that. They also said we could go back again to visit NIH and gain more experience. That’s something I’d definitely be up for. A lot of researchers in the UK go from grant to grant for their research but the NIH just has a constant stream of money going into it.”
By Ross Clark
Got an SHLS or GSBS story? Email me at Ross.Clark@gcu.ac.uk or message me on Twitter