D epartment of M edicine
Con ne c ti ng T e c h n o lo g y , Ed uca t i o n a n d D i s cove ry w ith H um anis m in Me dicine
Vol. 13 Issue 1 Jan. 2024
Advancing Research at UTGSM currently works to develop novel CARMacrophages as a potential mechanism for amyloid clearance. Furthermore, Dr. Balachandran works to engage the next generation of medical researchers by mentoring undergraduate students from the University of Tennessee. Dr. Jackson began working within the ACTP in June 2021; after completing a fellowship in cancer immunology at the University of Pittsburg School of Medicine. Dr. Jackson was recruited by Dr. Wall to aid in the development of amyloidosis imaging agents and to establish his cancer research program. Dr. Jackson works to develop methods that enhance amyloid removal within the body, and his cancer research focuses on engineering oncolytic viruses to combat glioblastoma with the impetus on arming these viruses with immunotherapeutic payloads designed to induce antitumor immunity. Dr. Jackson seeks to “translate what they do in the laboratory into the clinical setting” and hopes that the imaging agents developed to aid amyloidosis diagnosis will be “readily available to all who want them”. As a group the ACTP has worked on four clinical trials in the last five years, two of which have been successfully completed. Apart from their research, the ACTP works closely with the Amyloidosis Foundation to conduct support group meetings for patients and caregivers. The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine is excited to see the direction this research takes and would like to congratulate this amazing team on their groundbreaking discoveries and accomplishments.
The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, in collaboration with the University Health System, strives to foster an environment which promotes research to advance our collective medical knowledge. Dr. Jonathan Wall, Professor of Medicine, founded and continues to lead the Amyloidosis and Cancer Theranostics Program (ACTP), the goal of which is to “develop novel biological therapeutic and diagnostic agents for amyloidosis or cancer to impact patient outcomes”. Dr. Manasi Balachandran and Dr. Joseph Jackson are the newest members to join the ACTP. Dr. Balachandran joined the research group in January 2021 after completing her post-doctoral studies at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. An immunologist by training, she focuses on developing tissue culture workflows, in vitro and in vivo bioassays, and aiding clinical trials. She was drawn to Dr. Wall’s group because “this research has a direct impact on patient’s lives, thus making the work extremely valuable and satisfying”. She
Points of View
Principles of Medicine, and Shaw’s textbook of Gynecology among others, with more extensive coverage of each subject from a variety of other books. These books were indispensable companions during my undergraduate years. They were read from cover to cover, annotated, and quoted chapter and verse. The list of textbooks grew exponentially during postgraduate training with many long and satisfying hours spent in the library poring over various texts. Personally, I continue to find it a lot easier to assimilate and remember printed material compared to reading it in digital form. Other features make textbooks attractive, their covers, the feel of the paper, their texture and smell, and, of course, the satisfaction and excitement of learning from the most acclaimed authorities in the field. There is an inescapable and long-lasting bond between the reader and a textbook that can’t be continued on page 2
AN ODE TO TEXTBOOKS Many of us grew up reading textbooks to gain knowledge. During my school years, each subject, be it English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Social Sciences, or Biology, had a recommended textbook that served as the primary resource for learning. After entering medical school in India, the desire to learn more led Rajiv Dhand, MD, Chair to supplementing the required (and beloved) Grey’s Anatomy, Wright’s Physiology, Boyd’s Textbook of Pathology, Love and Bailey’s Textbook of Surgery, Davidson’s 1