"My name is Amanda Hayek.
I am from Dayton, Ohio originally but I have
worked in this research lab for almost two
years now under Doctor Dupont's and that's
his lab we're in right now.
Right now I am actually honored to be an American
Physiological Society Stride Fellow.
This summer I was employed and came here every
day, worked full time and during the school
year I am doing an independent study and actually
working as well as going to school and it's
been really fun.
I like it.
So both of my parents are in the science fields.
My mom is an occupational therapist which
is how I got on the track of potentially wanting
to be a physical therapist and then my father
does nutrition research with animals.
I actually came to UK originally as a voice
major.
I graduated high school with Conservatory
of the Arts.
I had done theater all my life and I was convinced
I was going to be going to Broadway.
I definitely became a love for science as
I got more involved in did a 180 and switched
my major freshman year once I got involved
with the sciences.
So I am a human health science major which
was new my freshman year on the physical therapy
track.
I also am planning on getting a minor on health
advocacy, a certificate in clinical management,
as well as a certificate in research.
I think the most driving force of especially
going into physical therapy is a international
service opportunity I had two years ago where
I went down to Cusco, Peru and worked in a
disabled orphanage with children and while
I was there I experienced something I have
never done before and I got to see the impact
I was having in helping in the physical therapy
with the children and to this day I use this
as my inspiration to get through all the hard
sciences and it reminds me that I'm not doing
this for a grade.
I'm doing it for the people that I'm going
to be helping.
My PI, Doctor Dupont, she has done amazing
things to further my education as well as
appreciation for science and especially in
the research field and she has given me amazing
opportunities such as one to be a stride fellow
through the APS and as well as many different
opportunities that I would never have known
if I didn't have such a good mentor as Dr.
Dupont.
So I am looking at the mechanical effects
of massage on atrophied muscle, specifically
the gastrocnemius and what I'm looking at
is a sub-proliferation of satellite cells,
endothilial cells, macrophages, specifically
ED2s as well as fiberglass.
We have actually seen an increase in DNA synthesis
with massage but what we're identifying is
if the muscle is actually damaged with massage
as well as which of those cells were involved
in that DNA synthesis.
Basically we're just trying to figure out
what massage is doing to the muscle.
Is it aiding or is it depleting or diminishing,
what is it doing when we massage the muscle
and basically what we're finding is maybe
with massaging for ICU patients, it could
actually prevent atrophy from happening.
There isn't a whole lot that we know mechanically
behind massage and that's actually why I find
it really cool is because who doesn't love
a massage?
And it's really cool to see what it's actually
doing on a physiological standing.
The most exciting aspect of my research is
seeing how it applies to like clinical settings
and being able to see how what I'm doing here
will in fact benefit the other fields and
what I want to do in the future.
So the most challenging part is I actually
have a lot of health issues.
I have quite an extensive medical health record.
Right now I am dealing with a hemiplegic migraine
or a complex migraine which mimics stroke
like conditions.
So I am on medication so that I can feel the
right side of my body so I can talk to you.
And it's been rather difficult.
I have been going to many different doctors
for it.
The lab here, the people I work with are really
understanding and they have been able to help
me deal with these issues and I wouldn't have
been able to do what I do if it wasn't for
the people that I had in my life that are
a supporting system and I know what it is
like in certain situations to go through some
pretty serious medical conditions but still
come out okay on top of it.
Research is always asking why things occur
and I get to look at why I have the symptoms
that I have and it's really interesting and
I am no doctor.
I have no experience in really diagnosing
but it helps me understand what's going on
with me and it's not as difficult to deal
with when you understand what's going on."
