Written by Luke McVeigh
Hello! My name is Luke McVeigh, and I am a first-year medical student at Indiana University School of Medicine.
I am originally from Lansing, Michigan and attended the University of Notre Dame, where I received my Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. I joined the Kacena Lab in January 2019 and will be working in the lab full time this summer through the Indiana University Medical Student Program for Research and Scholarship.
Research played an integral role in my education throughout my undergraduate career. I worked as a member of Dr. Robert Stahelin’s lab on the IU School of Medicine–South Bend campus during my years at Notre Dame, where we investigated the mechanism of action of Viral Matrix Protein (VP40) of the Ebola and Marburg viruses.
I also spent a summer of research through the University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center Fellowship working in Dr. Lori Isom’s lab investigating how a specific mutation in Nav 1.6 sodium channels that causes epileptic encephalopathy affects cardiac excitability.
I have loved my time working in the research lab as it has given me an opportunity to apply what I have learned in the classroom to real world cases and also involves critical thinking and difficult problem solving. I am excited to start a new research experience as a member of Dr. Kacena’s lab while in medical school.
Since I have never worked with large animals before, I have enjoyed all aspects of the pig bone healing project in the Kacena lab.
I am eager to contribute to both bone healing projects (pig and mouse) as well as investigate the effects of different analgesics on fracture healing and chronic pain state outcomes. Though I am new to the field of orthopedics, I look forward to learning and contributing to the field throughout my time in medical school and possibly beyond.
