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Meet Robert Strother, M4

Hometown: Union, Iowa

Sepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, those that survive sepsis often have changes in their underlying immune function that renders them more susceptible to infection. The Badovinac Laboratory, the lab in which I worked, demonstrated that sepsis leads to decreased CD8 T cell responses after sepsis.

My project investigated how sepsis affects antigen presenting cells called Dendritic Cells and whether Dendritic Cells play a role in decreased CD8 T cell responses after sepsis.

Q: Why did you choose to research this topic?

A: I have always really enjoyed learning about infectious disease and immunology. Sepsis is also such an important disease process as it is so widespread, yet we still have so much to learn regarding its immediate and long term effects. In the future I will be taking care of patients who are acutely ill with sepsis as well as patients that have survived sepsis. The opportunity to learn more about sepsis was an incredible opportunity that I hope will benefit my patients in the future.

Q: How has research benefited your education?

A: Performing research at the University of Iowa was a terrific experience. It provided me with the opportunity to work and learn under talented research mentors that taught me the skills necessary to successfully perform research while also helping me to think like a scientist. Furthermore, by partaking in research, I was able to develop the skills necessary to communicate the results of my research to both the general public as well as scientific peers. As medicine becomes more complex and individualized, being able to explain research studies and scientific processes will become even more important in clinical medicine.

Q: What made you want to get involved with research?

A: I have always enjoyed experiments and trying to understand why a certain process occurs. Research also enables those that provide patient care another way to learn and address a disease or pathology that you see in patients, and I believe it makes you a better clinician.

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