Alumni Profiles:  Success times three

Every once in a while a professor takes an extraordinary student under her wing. It might be a student with an exuberant personality, or one with an insatiable thirst for knowledge – or one who exhibits both – that will bring a smile to a professor’s face years later. It is rare, however, that a professor is rewarded with three such stand-out students in her lab – all at the same time!

Since 1986, Professor Linda Lowe-Krentz has mentored over 150 undergraduate students – and, for the most part, she is able to remember them all! But three students from the Class of 2010 just happened to join the Lowe-Krentz lab at the same time. They all had that incredible energy and enthusiasm for learning, yet would bring a smile to your face when witnessing their fun-loving personalities.

Walter Joseph, Linda Lowe-Krentz,  Amanda Dilger and Natalie Krane - May 2010

Amanda, Walter and Natalie each earned their bachelor of science degree in behavioral neuroscience in 2010 and went their separate ways. But that is not where the story ends! Amanda immediately began her studies at Harvard Medical School, and Walter journeyed to Rutgers to study at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Natalie decided to take a gap year and then began her studies at Drexel University College of Medicine.

Their individual stories are different, yet remarkably similar.

In addition to the common denominator of working in the same lab, you will see that their successes were made possible because of one of the many dedicated professors who always wants her students to succeed.

 

Natalie Krane, M.D. Class of 2010

Natalie Krane was recruited to play soccer for the Lehigh Women’s soccer team and knew Lehigh was a great fit in terms of Division I athletics and academic opportunities, especially when considering a pre-medical sciences track.

“Dr. Lowe-Krentz was my freshman year advisor. I really gravitated towards her teaching style, support, and availability. I then begged her to continue being my advisor even though I was technically supposed to switch after freshman year. I’m sure she later thought, ‘What did I get myself into?’. But, for the four years she was my advisor, she was also my mentor, and I looked to her for advice in all aspects –medical school, managing life as a student-athlete, and eventually, research and career choices. I knew I wanted to be a part of a lab at Lehigh and felt it only natural to continue working with Dr. Lowe-Krentz in her lab with its great lab personnel, principles I could understand and clinical applicability. She quite literally could not get rid of me.”

Natalie studied and wrote her honors thesis on the effects of heparin on p38 MPAK in vascular smooth muscle cells. “Bench research gave me a real-life application of the biochemical principles I was learning about in class which had clinical implications. It also introduced me to the collaborative nature both within the lab and within the biological sciences department. I felt extremely well-supported and the relationships I had with the instructors both gave me extra motivation to excel in my courses and helped me get into medical school through letters of recommendation.

”Working towards acceptance into medical school was always something Natalie knew she wanted to do. Becoming a doctor was always her goal. When asked if her undergraduate research experience in the Lowe-Krentz lab helped with her medical school studies, Natalie emphatically replied, “Of course, it did! Dr. Lowe-Krentz was my de facto mentor, and it was the combination of having her as my advisor both in and outside of the lab that augmented by medical school application and supplied me with the knowledge base to continue to find success while in medical school and beyond.”

Natalie believes that it was a benefit to take time off prior to entering medical school. “This is a great time to travel, work and gain professional skills before cramming the books for years onward. I worked for Genentech, a biotechnology company in the Bay Area (a job I got because of the Lehigh alumni network!). I interned there first between the summer of my junior and senior year and then took a position after college with the intent of going to medical school. I was an associate within the Commercial Regulatory Department and reviewed promotional materials for drug promotion to ensure alignment with FDA regulations. I continued to work within pharma while in medical school at Shire Pharmaceuticals. What I learned while in industry was invaluable and it gives me an advantage while navigating the medical profession.

“Dr. Krane is currently a fourth year resident in Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery at Oregon Health & Science University. “Head and neck anatomy is intricate and fascinating to learn about and the pathology encountered within it is extensive. The surgeries are amazing and vary widely in anatomical location and pathology: ear surgery, sinus surgery, facial plastic surgery, laryngology (voice box surgery), pediatric surgery, head and neck cancer surgery and more. There is so much to do just within one specialty.”

Planning for her future, Natalie is looking to do a fellowship in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. This includes facial trauma, facial reconstruction in the setting of cancer (e.g. skin cancer reconstruction), cosmetic/aesthetic facial surgery, facial nerve reanimation, congenital malformations (including cleft palate, cleft lip, and microtia repair), microvascular surgery (“free flap” surgery) and rhinoplasty (both cosmetic and functional).

What advice would you give to a current Lehigh student who intends on attending medical school? Find things you are passionate about that give you joy – those are the things that will make you a well-rounded, balanced applicant. Try to spread ideas and be involved in your community. - Natalie Krane, M.D.

 

Walter Joseph had a high school teacher who one day made college predictions for everyone in the class. When it was his turn she said, “Walter, I could see you going to Lehigh University.” Walter didn’t know much about Lehigh at that point, but after doing some research, visiting the campus, and weighing all his options, he decided that Lehigh was the perfect combination of strong academics, prestige, beautiful campus, and an active social life.

Walter Joseph, M.D. Class of 2010

When asked about his favorite class in biological sciences, Walter said it was a toss up. “Dr. Lowe-Krentz’s Honors Seminar was my first real gateway into critically reviewing scientific literature and has been integral in my development as a physician scientist. Dr. Lowe-Krentz didn’t treat us like college students; she treated us as her peers and pushed us to be better and better each time we all met.”

“Dr. Burger’s course was one of the most challenging courses of my tenure at Lehigh, but it was absolutely one of my favorites. I was enthralled with the complex neural pathways we studied and their clinical applications. This course made me realize that I was on the right path toward medicine.”

Pathogenesis of atherosclerosis was the focus of his research. Walter, too, was drawn to the Lowe-Krentz lab because of the clinical relevance of her work and her impressive scientific productivity. “Once I expressed interest in doing work in her lab, Dr. Lowe-Krentz took the time out of her busy schedule to meet with me. I was greeted by a warm, caring woman who was incredibly invested in my goals and my success. I knew immediately that Dr. Lowe-Krentz would be an invaluable mentor.”

Even though no one in his family was even remotely connected to the medical field, Walter had an interest in medicine since high school. While at Lehigh, Walter shadowed physicians and, during the winter break of his junior year, had the opportunity to travel abroad to Nairobi, Kenya, where he volunteered at a medical clinic for three weeks and even helped deliver his first baby. “At that point, I knew there wasn’t another option besides medical school,” Walter noted.

He also noted that doing basic science at the bench instilled in him an early sense of maturity and an ownership over his own work. “In college, it’s easy to just get caught up in the books and the papers, the studying, and even the social life. But things like culturing your own cell lines and executing your own experiments — even if it meant coming into the lab on the weekends! — not only allows you to grow as a scientific thinker, but it allows you to be passionate about something that’s bigger than you.”

While a student at RWJ Medical School, Walter took an extra year to pursue basic science research in Plastic Surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. He was able to publish several scientific manuscripts, which he believes he couldn’t have done without the strong research background that the Lowe-Krentz lab afforded him.

After graduating from Rutgers, Walter moved to the University of Pittsburgh and is doing his residency in plastic surgery. “I chose plastic surgery because it combines a deep understanding of the human anatomy with precise manipulation of nearly all types of tissue to deliver the ultimate service of improving the quality of life of the patient. While most surgical fields are based on cutting away or ‘removing’ parts of the body, plastic surgery rebuilds what was no longer there, remolds what was once deformed, and reshapes to beautify. There is nothing better!” Dr. Joseph is considering a fellowship in reconstructive microsurgery when he has completed his residency.

What advice would you give to a current Lehigh student who intends on attending medical school? Create your own opportunities to make your dreams come true. Find amazing mentors, stay focused, and keep pushing. But most of all, make sure you love what you’re doing while you’re doing it. - Walter Joseph, M.D.

 

Amanda Dilger, M.D. Class of 2010

Amanda Dilger didn’t know a lot about Lehigh but did hear that it was a great school and thought the campus was really nice when she came for a tour. “I’m so glad I ended up there, though – the biological sciences department is amazing and I felt that I got a really unique and comprehensive educational experience.”

Accepted to Lehigh into the Eckardt Scholars program, Amanda was in the audience when a senior was presenting their research on signal pathways in atherosclerosis. That’s when she decided to pursue a similar project in the Lowe-Krentz Lab since she liked the clinical implications of the project and knowing that she was planning on a career in medicine.

Amanda spent the next few years studying the effects of heparin on JNK signal transduction pathways in vascular smooth muscle cells and the implications of these effects on the treatment of atherosclerosis. “Performing bench research was a good way to learn about biochemistry and signal pathways from a different perspective.”

When asked about her favorite class in the department, Amanda noted that it is hard to choose. “Obviously Dr. Lowe-Krentz was an incredible teacher and research mentor. I also really enjoyed Dr. Burger’s class on neural pathways in the auditory system – it’s what first got me interested in otolaryngology as a specialty.” While at Lehigh, Amanda was a volunteer EMT and had the opportunity to shadow doctors at St. Luke’s Hospital. “I discovered how much I valued the patient-doctor relationship and the opportunity to help others.”

Being active in an undergraduate research experience helped Dilger learn about how much time and effort goes into bench research. “It helped me make educated choices about which research projects to get involved with as a medical student and resident.”

After earning her bachelor’s degree from Lehigh, Amanda spent the next four years at Harvard Medical School and then moved to Northwestern University to begin her residency in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. She will be graduating in June and will be moving to Los Angeles for a private practice fellowship in facial plastics and reconstructive surgery.

“I’ve always loved aesthetics and I think it’s amazing how much of an impact someone’s appearance can have on their self-confidence, the way one carries oneself and their overall quality of life. I broke my jaw when I was younger and had to have several reconstructive surgeries; the results truly changed my life and made me so much more comfortable with myself. I wanted to be able to give my patients that same experience of becoming the best version of themselves and gaining confidence.”

“The ones who control the purse strings of science, are very rarely scientists themselves,” said Chuck. “That is why it’s so important for us as scientists to make our work understandable and relatable for the betterment of society as a whole.”

Kristin and Chuck are going to do great things for spreading the word of science in America and the department is glad they could be a part of their journey and adventure.

What advice would you give to a current Lehigh student who intends on attending medical school? While it is important to get involved in research and medicine-related activities, it’s an absolute must that you continue doing the things you love outside of medicine. - Amanda Dilger, M.D.