Biochemistry major has heart
WILMORE, KY—Melissa Phillips has a heart for the heart. The senior biochemistry major from Louisville has been accepted to University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical science. She wants to develop treatments for cardiovascular disease, especially for women. 
“I think even though the heart is so important, people don’t think about it,” she said. “There is a ton of money going into cancer and neurology research, but cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of men and women. It’s not going way. There is much do be done, and it is not receiving as much attention, especially where women are concerned.”
Phillips first became interested in this subject during a high school trip to Washington, D.C., where she found out that the treatments for cardiovascular disease were developed for men. Women, who were left out of the clinical trials because of the risk of birth defects, experience different symptoms of heart disease and respond differently to treatments. Therefore, the existing cardiovascular medications are not as effective for women. Not only are the treatments inadequate, Phillips says that people’s understanding of heart disease is also a problem. “So many people still consider it a man’s disease,” she said. “Women don’t know the symptoms or dismiss it at something else.”
Asbury College has provided Phillips with several different opportunities to conduct research as an undergraduate. Last summer she participated in the Kentucky Young Scientist Summer Research Program at the University of Kentucky. “Melissa is a wonderfully motivated student who has a sincere interest in biomedical research,” said Dr. Todd Porter, an associate professor at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy. “I was very impressed with Melissa’s background and knowledge of biochemistry and physiology - it is clear that Asbury prepared her well for graduate training, and we look forward to having her join our program in Pharmaceutical Sciences next fall. I anticipate that she will be an outstanding student.”
This semester, she is completing an independent study project at the College of Pharmacy at U.K. “Both schools have been good about helping me do research off campus, allowing me to see what’s out there,” Phillips said.
Her current project involves drug delivery systems—researching the easiest and most efficient way to get medications into the body. She says in cases of mass contamination, an injection is not always the most accessible way to treat patients. In those cases, “you want a stock pile of pills so you can get it out immediately,” she said.
Phillips said her education at Asbury College prepared her well to conduct research at a large research facility.
“I was completely prepared in the academic sense,” she said. “The graduate assistant said I was actually better than her in the lab. I attribute that all to Asbury College. We may not always have the newest equipment, but we have a low faculty/student ratio, smaller classes and we have had contact with professors. We are always allowed to work with all equipment and we always know what is going on.”
She also said her professors showed her that there was more to advanced science that attending medical school. “I came into Asbury thinking I would go to medical school. Then I got here and my professors showed me the different options I have with graduate school and careers in research, which suits my interests better.”
When Phillips was not in the lab, she played on College’s volleyball team. She was team captain and a two-time Academic All-American. She made All-American her junior year when the volleyball team went to nationals for the first time in school history.
Released: March 28, 2007
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Tagged: science, biology, chemistry, biochemistry and features
