One of the goals at Ensworth is to create life-long learners through our challenging curriculum. I recently learned more about Dr. Crystal Miller’s Pre-Med Chemistry class. This upper-level elective emphasizes the study of chemistry as it relates to current medical treatment and technology. The class focuses on the study of drug design for conditions like AIDS/HIV and cancer while doing laboratory research involving stem cells.
To wrap up the Cancer unit, Dr. Skip Burris and Dee Anna Smith from the Sarah Cannon Research Institute gave a lecture on personalized medicine. They shared real-life stories of patients treated here in Nashville and how a significant number of Stage 1 trials (First Patient trials) run with patients locally have led to treatment for many more patients. Burris also emphasized Ensworth’s core skills, citing the importance of collaboration in a real world setting, and how research teams need scientists from many fields of study to make a project succeed.
