McClenny’s presentation explored the effects of calcium overload in pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells.
Cell biology and physiology have always intrigued McClenny, but “this project was appealing not only because it satisfied those interests, but additionally, it had correlation to patient care,” he said.
A major complication that comes from sepsis is pulmonary edema, a condition caused by excess fluid in the lungs that makes it hard to breathe. His project's focus was to “understand what mechanisms facilitate calcium influx so that one day we will be better able to treat patients with sepsis.”
McClenny said he felt fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet other scientists within the field at the conference. “I do think it is important for every medical student to be exposed to the research process," he said. "On a practical level, it develops lens critical thinking and problem solving skills. Additionally, it fosters a respect for scientists and physicians that are devoted to advancing medicine."
He credits the USA College of Medicine for his research. “Over the past two summers in the University of South Alabama College of Medicine research program, I have learned the basic skills of how to work effectively in a laboratory,” he said. “More importantly, I have had the honor to learn from two great investigators, Drs. Diego Alvarez and Mary Townsley. They have challenged me to pursue discovery and innovation. I learned how to recognize a problem and then set forth on a strategic path to solve it. I am very grateful for this opportunity and look forward to a future of continued research.”
Learn more about the Experimental Biology Conference at https://experimentalbiology.org/2019/About/About-Experimental-Biology.aspx.
