Exploring the options

Spending time interacting with hospital patients and their families might not seem like a priority for an undergraduate with a penchant for research. But in addition to long hours in the lab, Jacob Inda, one of four U of M students to be named a 2011 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar, volunteers every week in the family surgery lounge at Fairview Hospital. Inda relays information from the operating room to families waiting for news.

“It helps balance out time in the lab which is a very controlled environment,” says Inda. “Every day is different. It’s a very dynamic environment.”

Soft-spoken and articulate, Inda exudes calm. He's learned to navigate the ambiguity and appreciate the nuance necessary when communicating about serious medical matters. “If the nurse says the surgery is going ‘okay,’ you want to say ‘it’s going well,’ but you can’t do that even though you may be tempted to,” says Inda. The biochemistry major sees patient interaction as essential not only to becoming a good doctor but also to developing better treatment options. And he’s poised to make his mark in research. The Goldwater Scholarship is one of the most prestigious national awards given to science undergraduates with an interest in research.

“Jake came in trying to link what he knew in class to what he wanted to do,” says Benlohr. “He has gone from being a helper on a project to someone who contributes each time he gets his hands on an experiment. He’s beginning to function at a high level – give me a few more Jakes!”

Inda has spent the past few years working in the lab of David Bernlohr, professor and head of the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, helping to work out how oxidative stress from obesity and routine metabolic processes can negatively impact cellular functions. He’s especially intrigued by how much isn't yet known.

“Many biological processes haven’t been worked out,” says Inda, “ … the professors here at the U of M are pushing at those boundaries.” While at the U of M, Inda has also followed his interest in computers and informatics crossing disciplines to volunteer in the lab of Chad Myers, a professor in the College of Science and Engineering. He looked at the genetic interactions of actin, helping to create a map of the protein, which is involved in a variety of cell functions. During his freshman year he also worked with Jonathan Schilling, a professor in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences who studies wood fungi.

The Onalaska, Wisconsin native opted to attend the University of Minnesota for the research opportunities, but also the chance to learn from the diverse perspectives of a big city. “I wanted to step outside my comfort zone,” says Inda. This past summer he volunteered in Hennepin County Medical Center'’ research associate program on a project to improve patient outcomes, blending his passion for the clinical and research sides.

Inda sees computer programming as increasingly integral to biomedical research. “It’s so complex we need computers to help us decipher the data generated by modern experimental technologies. Biology is becoming more interdisciplinary.”

So how did Inda, the first in his family to study the biological sciences, become so focused so early? “I have always been drawn to science because there's always an opportunity to explore new things. … There are always things yet to be discovered.” 

– Stephanie Xenos