Internship Journal

Name: Isabella Lewis

Internship Site: Oregon National Primate Research Center
Intern Week 1
Dates: Friday, October 28, 2016
Total # of hours worked for week: 3

Daily Entries:

Day one: October 28,2016

3 hrs
Today was my first day at the Oregon National Primate Research Center. When we arrived on campus
the leader Diana Gordon was very impressed that everyone arrived early. We started our day off at the
conference room for a presentation informing us of what took place at the research center. This was the
first of seven primate research centers in the U.S. to open. Over 5,000 primates reside on this campus
alone. Most of these primates are rhesus macaques and japanese macaques. The rhesus macaques are
usually used as models because their DNA is very similar to humans. We were educated on the cycle of
research, starting with an idea and ending with a human clinical trial. The complete process generally
takes 20-30 years because there are many steps before the human clinical trial to ensure the experiment
is safe. Scientists at this location are researching a cure for multiple sclerosis by looking for a way to
place the myelin sheath back on the neurons so nerve signals can be sent more quickly to the rest of the
body. They use a Japanese macaque model because each year four or five of them at the center exhibit
symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis in humans. After the presentation, we went on a tour of the 165
acre campus. There are designated areas for housing while the animals are not assigned to a research
project. There are also specialized regions for clinical medicine, behavior, pathology, and surgical
facilities and services. The staff learn mannerisms of each monkey in order to keep watchful eye on each
because if they become sick or injured they tend to hide it so the other monkeys do not notice and
attack them in order to improve their rank in the group. The monkeys part of research programs are
kept indoors to be more closely monitored. The ones not involved are separated into corrals of about 20
monkeys. The corrals environment is regulated with heating panels on the floor as well as in the ceiling.
Other types of corrals are open to the air. After the tour, we finished the day by asking questions to a
panel of three scientist. They were all in different stages of their career so we could have a better
understanding of what it was like to be a researcher. One of them had just received her PhD and was an
assistant to a more experienced scientist while she worked on writing her own grant. The second
scientist had been working on her own project for two years and the third scientist had been working at
the primate center for over 30 years. One thing they all said was that grant writing is very time
consuming. So time consuming that when they need to get a new grant about 70% of the time is spent
on the grant and only 30% is research.

Day two: November 4, 2016

3 hrs
On the second day at the Oregon National Primate Research Center, we went into a classroom for a
lecture about how stress affects organisms. Some of the negative effects of being chronically stressed
are diabetes, impaired cognitive functions, cardiovascular diseases, reproductive diseases, and cancer
among other diseases. There are two categories of stress: emotional/psychological and physical.
Examples of emotional or psychological effects can include things like taking a test or having an
interview, while physical stressors can be a lack of food, disrupted sleep pattern, or having an illness.
The stress response pathway we focused on was the HPA axis. In this pathway the hypothalamus
produces CRH and then the anterior pituitary produces the ACTH and finally the adrenal cortex produces
the stress hormone cortisol. After the lecture, we performed an experiment to test for cortisol in
monkey saliva because the doctors were worried that living in these environments would place stress on
the monkeys. When we added the antibodies to each of the three monkeys saliva a color change would
indicate that cortisol was present and the monkey was stressed. In this experiment we discovered that
rhesus macaque 1 and 3 experienced stress because their samples turned a pink color. Finally, we
toured the endocrine lab at the facility. The first machine we saw was an immunochemiluminescence
assay. This machine uses several antigens to determine if certain antibodies are present. When the
enzymes bind to their substrates a photon of light is emitted. The amount of substance that is being
detected is measured by the light that is given off. Since this machine generally operates in a hospital,
there are some restrictions on what they can do at the primate center because of the differences in
monkeys and humans. The second machine we saw was a MS/MS Components. This is an extremely
expensive and complicated machine. It cost $500,000 and only researchers with a PhD can operate the
machine. It took the scientists about a year to learn how to properly use this machine to gain accurate
data. This machine is also used to identify components in a sample.

Day 3: November 18, 2016

3 hrs
Today we started off by listening to a presentation by Dr. Mary Zilinski. At the Oregon National Primate
Research Center, she performs research regarding female reproductive physiology. She is specifically
interested in helping cancer patient survivors start a family. This is an important area of study because 1
out of 49 females between the ages of 1 and 40 will be diagnosed with cancer. Chemotherapy and
radiotherapy may destroy cancer cells, but they also destroy the reproductive system. Approximately
90% of cancer patients are not told their fertility will be effected before they undergo cancer
treatments. Oncofertility is an organization that helps preserve fertility for cancer patients. There are
more options for male cancer patients that are considerably simpler than for female cancer patients. It is
more difficult for females since they have a finite number of oocytes. One method of preserving fertility
in women is cryopreservation. Cryopreservation involves freezing and storing ovarian tissue to be used
later. One challenge with this is that cells are mostly made of water, so when it is frozen the water forms
ice. Ice takes up more space than water, which causes the cell membrane to burst. In order to combat
this problem, scientists add cryoprotective agents (CPAs) to the tissue to protect it from freezing and
instead allowing it to vitrify. Vitrification is the transition of a substance into a glass-like state by rapid
freezing in liquid nitrogen. A common CPA is glycerol. However, the challenge is not adding too much or
too little glycerol. If too little glycerol is added the tissue will produce ice and be destroyed. Adding too
much glycerol can also destroy a cell because it is toxic. One thing that I found very interesting is that
after cancer treatment is over the doctor can put the ovarian tissue back into the body. At the ONPRC,
they have experimented on this in the monkeys and the ovarian tissue appears as a bump under the
monkeys fur. After the presentation, we performed a simple lab to see what vitrification looked like. We
had five test tubes containing 3 mL with different amounts of glycerol and water. The test tubes
contained 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% glycerol. After mixing the water and glycerol, we placed a test
tube into a cooler of liquid nitrogen for 30 seconds. When we took the test tubes out of the liquid
nitrogen we quickly checked to see if ice was present in the solution. If ice was visible the solution was
not vitrified, but if the solution appeared glass-like it was vitrified. Our results showed that the test
tubes containing 40% or less glycerol created ice, but the solutions with 60% or more glycerol were
vitrified. The actual percentage of glycerol required to vitrify a substance is 54%. After cleaning up the
lab area, we discussed how ethicists, doctors, and researchers decide if oncofertility is ethical.

Day 4: December 2, 2016

3 hrs
The first thing we did today was attend a works-in-progress seminar. This was where one
representative scientist shared recent progress with the other scientists. This was a good way for the
researchers to stay informed of the other projects and have the opportunity to ask questions. This
particular seminar was devoted to discussing the progress of investigating a cure to HIV and AIDS. Right
now there are medications people can take to repress HIV but the medications are expensive, must be
taken long-term, and patients go into remission if they stop drug use. Patients must receive antiretro
virotherapy because the HIV virus is constantly mutating, making treatment very difficult. This was a
valuable experience to see how the scientists interacted and critiqued each others work.
After the seminar we went to a short presentation about animal care. The focus was on small
animals because they have very few large animals at this facility. It is important for them to preserve as
many of the monkeys natural instincts as possible. They do this by allowing the monkeys to forage for
food to give them a sense of control over their environment. They also have to preserve the monkeys
social structure as they are a very hierarchical species. This means that they try not to remove monkeys
from their housing structures if at all possible because once they are removed they may be attacked and
not be accepted back into the community. One way they are able to do this is by training the monkeys to
cooperate voluntarily by coming to the front of the cage for testing. This not only leaves the social
structure in place, but also reduces the stress of the subject monkey because they are rewarded for
acting voluntarily. One thing I found interesting was how they use technology, like ipads, to stimulate
and challenge the monkeys with simple childrens games.
After the presentation, we went to several stations to learn more about veterinary care. We
learned a technique to wrap injuries, which often needs to be done at the primate center because
monkeys are adventurous, get into fights, and undergo treatment that requires stitches. At another
station the staff showed us how to suture and the knots needed to keep the stitches in place. We did
external examinations of small animals because monkeys are routinely checked for any abnormalities.
Finally, we played a game to show us how the monkeys are trained behaviorally. One person went
outside the room and the rest of us were given clickers that made a sound when they were pressed. We
chose an object and the person would take a step in one direction or the other. If they got closer to the
object we would click the clicker and the person would get a piece of candy until they finally touched the
target object. This is similar method to how monkeys are trained to receive their injections.

December 9, 2016
0 hrs
This was scheduled to be last day of the biomedical research experience, but due to snow the job
shadow was cancelled. I was scheduled to shadow Emily Marshall and Jack Schnell in the Frueh
Laboratory.

Total hours at the Oregon National Primate Research center: 12 hrs

Internship Site: Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center

March 8, 2017
4 hrs
On this field trip to the Cornelius location, I learned about several medical career pathways. The first
thing we did was listen to a presentation explaining the purpose of the center. This clinic prides itself on
providing low cost health care in a language the patient can understand. We toured the facility to see
how the companys values are incorporated into the design of the facility. For example, they place a
heavy emphasis on living fit, evident in how the stairs are placed in the middle of the lobby whereas the
elevator is located farther in the back. Their value of community can be seen in the Cornelius postal
center that was preserved as an office when the health center acquired the property, when they easily
could have demolished it. After the tour we went to six stations, each featuring a medical career. My
group went to the registered nurse, nurse practitioner, dentist, medical assistant, mental and social
work, and pharmacy career stations. My favorite station was the pharmacy station because they had
interactive activities. They asked for a volunteer and they had the opportunity to inject insulin into a
clear box covered in a thin layer of material that simulated the feeling of skin. They also handed out
pharmacy related prizes like highlighters and pens shaped as syringes. After visiting the stations we
stretched as as group and had the chance to ask the medical professionals questions. I thought this was
a valuable time because they shared helpful advice on how they got through college.

Internship Site: Metro West Ambulance

April 29, 2017
12.5 hours

At this event I was able to shadow two EMTs, Tim and Katelyn, throughout one of their shifts.
When I arrived on site the first thing they did was take inventory of the ambulance to ensure they had
the proper supplies for the shift.
Next we drove to a post in Beaverton. A post is where the ambulance parks when it is not on a
call. Posts are scattered throughout Washington County to ensure ambulances are nearby when an
emergency occurs. It was an unusual day for the EMTs because we waited at various posts for almost
five hours before we received our first assignment. During this time Tim and Katelyn explained the
situations in which they would use the supplies they carried with them. They also explained how there
are two radios in the front of the vehicle to tell them where they need to go and what the scene will be
like when they arrive.
Our first call was for a man that was continuously vomiting. It was not deemed an extremely
urgent call so therefore, we did not use any lights or sirens. When we arrived Tim asked where we were
going and no one responded. Eventually, we found the correct room and brought the man out on a
stretcher. In the ambulance Katelyn asked questions about his medical history and tried to run an EKG
and establish an IV, but the man would not cooperate. Instead of struggling with him they did not argue
and simply drove to the hospital. This call showed me that not everyone that calls the ambulance
appreciates those that are trying to help them and the EMTs have a difficult job.
Next, we got a call for a seizing man that had fallen. However, when we arrived on scene fire
was already there so they cancelled us.
On our way to the next post, a man had apparently fallen off a car lift at an auto shop and hit his
head. When we arrived, the man was conscious and fire was there tending to him. The man was
strapped onto a hard board since he could have suffered neck or spine injuries. We brought out the
stretcher and transported him to the ambulance. At the hospital, I got to see the importance of
communicating the events of the incident with the hospital staff before leaving so they would have a
good idea of what happened.
 After waiting at a post for about two hours, our last call was for an elderly woman that had
fallen. Fire was already at the scene when we arrived. The woman was exhibiting no signs or symptoms
of the fall but the staff at the assisted living facility recommended her to go to a hospital since they did
not have a nurse on site at that time. There was much debate as to whether this was in the best interest
of the patient since she strongly did not want to go to the hospital. A niece was called, and after much
deliberation she gave the go ahead to transport her to the hospital. The EMTs did not personally see any
reason for her to go, but they explained to me that they had to transport her for legal reasons so they
would not be sued.

Total internship hours: 28.5