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 What Students Say |
Vision Research on Behalf of His Dad Edward Barawid’s purposeful path to undergraduate research led from his childhood home in Poway, California, to his UCSB dorm, and on to the campus laboratory of one of the world’s most renowned vision researchers. When Edward went off to UCSB to major in biopsychology, his roommate Shine Ling, who was majoring in biology at UCSB’s College of Creative Studies, had good advice. (A go-getter in his own right, Shine's undergraduate research with a marine biologist has contributed to scientific knowledge.) “When you come to a major research university like UCSB, you have to take advantage of its resources,” Shine told his friend. “The professors are top-notch, so find a research position with someone whose work interests you.” Because Edward’s father suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, a rare, hereditary eye disease that often leads to blindness, Edward said he wanted to learn more about vision research. Shine suggested he contact neurobiologist Steven Fisher, in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and the Neuroscience Research Institute, who investigates the ultrastructure of vertebrate retina. Learning From One of the World's Great Scientists When Edward, then a sophomore, sent an e-mail note to Professor Fisher, the scientist invited him to join a neurobiology seminar and begin to get a sense of the material. “One of my professors made a presentation there,” Edward says, “and I was able to comprehend parts of it!” Afterward, he introduced himself to Professor Fisher and asked if he could work in his lab, but was told that before he did hands-on research, he should read a number of recommended journal articles. Then the neurobiologist met with Edward three or four times a month to discuss the material and answer Edward’s questions. “It made a difference, “ Edward says now. “He explained the technical terms, clarified information, and sometimes drew pictures to illustrate. The experience built my confidence.” Edward worked for three years in the Fisher lab, doing a quantitative analysis of cone photoreceptors in detached and reattached retinas. (The images above appeared in the article “The Ability of Hyperoxia to Limit the Effects of Experimental Detachment in Cone-Dominated Retina,” by T. Sakai, G.P. Lewis, K.A. Linberg, and S.K. Fisher, published in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, 2001; 13: 3264–3723.) He also sat in on the lab team’s weekly meetings, where researchers presented their findings. “It was a great experience!” says Edward, who in his senior year spoke about his undergraduate research on a faculty/student panel during the campus’ Discovery Days orientation for new students. “The skills I’ve learned—from antibody staining to fluorescent microscopy to patience—will help me when I go on to medical school.” Edward spent the last quarter of his senior year studying in Hong Kong. He sidestepped the SARS epidemic there, and is now back home near San Diego—preparing for a career in ophthalmology. |
