Week 1: MJ

This summer, I will be working in Dr. Laura Donlin's lab and shadowing in Dr. Fernandez's clinic, both of whom work at HSS. Dr. Donlin is an immunologist working on understanding autoimmune and musculoskeletal diseases through work with patient samples, while Dr. Fernandez is a Rheumatologist who specializes in treating Lupus and various forms of myositis, a disease that causes inflammation of muscle and has no cure. This week in Dr. Donlin's lab, I met members of the lab and attended their weekly lab meeting. I also shadowed members of the lab performing flow cytometry on whole blood cells and discussed project options for my summer here. This week shadowing Dr. Fernandez, I followed him in the clinic as he saw to a wide variety of patients, from Lupus to various forms of myositis. There were several patients who were involved in a clinical trial to treat inclusion body myositis, a form of myositis characterized by muscle wasting and inclusion bodies in the interstitial space between myofibers. I also saw Dr. Fernandez as he worked in the Rheumatology fellow clinic, assisting Rheumatology fellows as they learn how to treat patients. Finally, I went with Dr. Fernandez to the motion analysis lab at HSS, where he is considering starting a trial for his patients to wear mechanical exoskeletons that would assist with walking, which some myositis patients greatly struggle with. I even got to try one on (pictured below)!