Bold. Forward. Unbound. in Arizona will reimagine the healthcare experience for patients and staff and expand clinical space on the Phoenix campus by nearly 60%

PHOENIX — Today, Mayo Clinic announced a nearly $1.9 billion investment in the continued transformation of its Phoenix campus as part of its Bold. Forward. strategy to Cure, Connect and Transform healthcare for the benefit of patients everywhere.

Bold. Forward. Unbound. in Arizona will enable new innovative care concepts, physical spaces and integrated technologies to create seamless care experiences for patients and a better workplace for staff.

Mayo’s largest investment in the state, Bold. Forward. Unbound. in Arizona underscores Mayo Clinic's leadership in creating a next-generation healthcare model that scales solutions for more patients when and where they need them. By harnessing the power of innovative technology and integrating physical and digital care, Mayo Clinic aims to deliver more cures, improve patient outcomes and elevate the patient experience.

"Bold. Forward. Unbound. in Arizona is the final major building block of Bold. Forward. Unbound., our complete reimagining of our physical infrastructure to enable all of Bold. Forward.," says Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic. "Through this work, we are physically and digitally transforming healthcare and blurring the lines between inpatient and outpatient care to support Category-of-One healthcare for our patients, a Category-of-One workplace for our staff and to serve as a blueprint for the world."

This 1.2-million-square-foot expansion includes the construction of a new procedural building, a four-floor vertical and horizontal expansion of the Mayo Clinic Specialty Building, the integration of leading-edge technology, the addition of 11 new operating rooms and two new patient units supporting 48 additional beds, and an enhanced arrival experience for patients and visitors.

The plan calls for a two-story, indoor promenade that wraps around the front of the campus, creating cohesion and convenience for patients and visitors as they move from building to building. Another prominent feature in the new design will be the development of care neighborhoods that cluster complementary clinical services for a more intuitive and connected patient experience.

Journalists: Broadcast-quality sound bites with Dr. Richard J. Gray, b-roll, photos and design renderings are available in the downloads at the end of the post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Name super/CG: Richard J. Gray, M.D., CEO, Mayo Clinic in Arizona

"This incredible investment will forever change the patient and staff experience in Arizona as Mayo Clinic grows and reinvents its nationally recognized clinical care, research and education," says Richard J. Gray, M.D., CEO of Mayo Clinic in Arizona. "Bold. Forward. Unbound. in Arizona will increase clinical space on the Phoenix campus by nearly 60 percent, allowing us to care for more patients than ever before. We look forward to setting new standards for patient care and medical innovation."

Bold. Forward. Unbound. in Arizona is part of Mayo Clinic’s Bold. Forward. Unbound. physical plan to achieve seamless integration of physical spaces and digital capabilities to meet patients’ unmet and evolving needs across all sites. Projects are underway in Rochester, Minnesota, and Jacksonville, Florida, and Mayo Clinic Health System recently completed projects in Mankato, Minnesota, and La Crosse, Wisconsin. Design for the Arizona expansion begins this year with completion slated for 2031. This endeavor will involve numerous architectural and general contractor firms. An initial design and construction team of McCarthy, Gensler and Arup Group has been formed, and more collaborators will be named in the coming months.

"The dramatic growth in our metropolitan area, state and region has led to an escalating need for care of patients with complex medical conditions that is difficult to accommodate with our current technology and infrastructure," according to Dr. Gray. "We continue to believe that Arizona is a great place to advance new cures, new collaborations and Mayo's distinctive model of care."

Media kit, including video, interviews, design renderings, and photos, available for download here.

###

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Marty Velasco Hames, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

Related stories

• Bold. Forward. Unbound. in Rochester
• Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees approves plans to transform healthcare, improve experience for staff and patients, redesign Rochester campus
• Mayo Clinic invests in major hospital expansion to enhance patient experience
• Mayo Clinic Health System’s new hospital in La Crosse, Wisconsin, integrates innovative technologies and design to support the overall care experience for patients and staff
• Mayo Clinic recognized as ‘World’s Best Hospital’ by Newsweek for the seventh straight year
• 10 Mayo Clinic research advances in 2024, spanning stem cell therapy in space to growing mini-organs

The post Mayo Clinic announces transformative $1.9B investment in Arizona appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

In 1931, Dr. William J. Mayo observed, "Each day, as I go through the hospitals surrounded by younger men [and women], they give me of their dreams and I give them of my experience, and I get the better of the exchange."

Nearly a century later, these sentiments still ring true. Residents and fellows not only uphold the values of Mayo Clinic but also have an immeasurable influence on patient care, research, education and the communities where they train. As Mayo Clinic marks National Thank a Resident and Fellow Day on Friday, Feb. 28, it recognizes the countless contributions that its residents and fellows make.

"We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the residents and fellows who have entrusted us with their training. These professionals represent our future workforce," says Annie Sadosty, M.D., dean of the Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education (MCGSME). "Graduate medical education is essential to what we do at Mayo Clinic, and we appreciate the commitment and compassion that our trainees bring to our institution. Every day, but especially today, we want to tell our residents and fellows 'Thank you for all that you do.'"

MCSGME's residents and fellows don't just make a mark in our hospitals, they deliver the Mayo Model of Care to their local communities and beyond through service learning and volunteering.

Here is what some local leaders had to say about our residents:

"From the very beginning, The Salvation Army Good Samaritan Health Clinic has been dependent on the volunteer time of residents from Mayo Clinic. Thirty years later, the residents who volunteer at the Good Sam remain essential. They provide care our patients wouldn't be able to access anywhere else. They give both care and compassion to people who are very ill and often very afraid. We are so grateful to the many residents who have volunteered, and who currently volunteer, to make our clinic a place of refuge for thousands in need of healthcare. From our whole team at The Salvation Army, thank you!"

Cornell Voeller, Major, corps officer for business
The Salvation Army, Rochester, Minn.

"The Landing MN would like to express our deepest gratitude for your incredible work and dedication. Witnessing your compassion and commitment to serving Rochester community members experiencing homelessness has been truly inspiring. The empathy and care you show are a testament to the exceptional training you're receiving at Mayo ... and it gives us so much hope for the future of healthcare. We want to especially recognize the advent of the psychiatric support provided by you in our clinic, and the incredible impact made by this novel approach to mental healthcare. Thank you for all that you do; you make a profound difference in the lives of so many."

Alex Hurlebaus, executive director
The Landing MN, Rochester, Minn.

"Serving our small, rural Minnesota town and its surrounding areas, our Mayo Clinic family medicine residents are the Center Clinic. For 20 years, our residents have provided compassionate and humanizing care to those with minimal resources. They extend Mayo Clinic's mission to those who would otherwise lack access. They inspire hope, promote health and make our community a better place. On this Thank a Resident Day, we celebrate their heart, leadership and commitment."

Cesar A. Gonzalez, Ph.D.
president, Center Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

"We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our amazing Mayo Clinic residents and fellows who give of their time and compassionate services to the patients in our Sulzbacher clinics. The weekly 'Mayo Learners Clinic' is a blessing to Sulzbacher, the vulnerable patients that we serve and to the community at large. If it were not for you, these patients might not receive the treatment that they need and would end up even more ill and in an emergency room or worse. Thank you, Mayo residents and fellows, for your critical partnership, service and empathy. We appreciate you more than you know."

Cindy Funkhouser, president and CEO
Sulzbacher Center, Jacksonville, Fla.

"By adding residents and fellows to our amazing provider team at Volunteers in Medicine we are reaching a new level of care. The residents and fellows add fresh eyes and ideas to our clinic and in turn are mentored by experienced MDs with a wealth of knowledge. Our patients enjoy seeing the residents and fellows and comment on the thoroughness of their visits and compassionate care given. Thank you!"

Suzanne Taylor, chief operating officer
Volunteers in Medicine, Jacksonville, Fla.

"We love our Mayo residents! They travel from all over the country to come to Winslow Indian Healthcare and provide care on the Navajo Nation. They are really insanely smart, incredibly diligent and thoughtful and considerate to the culture and socioeconomic considerations of care out here. We love getting to work with them and are always eager to see where they go!"

Evan Pulvers, M.D.
medical education site director, Winslow Indian Healthcare Center/Dilkon Medical Center, Arizona

"The providers and staff at Circle the City are grateful for the Mayo residents and their commitment to their rotation at Circle the City.  Their engagement and their commitment to work with our staff to serve the most vulnerable in our community is a testament to the type of physician they are striving to be."

William Ellert, M.D.
chief medical officer, Circle the City, Arizona

"At the Chippewa Valley Free Clinic, we are so grateful to have the Family Medicine residents working at our clinic!  They are thoughtful, compassionate and thorough. They provide an invaluable service to our vulnerable patient population. A heartfelt thank you to all the residents!"

Lori Whitis, M.D.
medical director, Chippewa Valley Free Clinic, Wisconsin

About Thank a Resident and Fellow Day

More than 2,000 residents and fellows are enrolled in 309 specialty programs across Mayo Clinic. In 2018, the Gold Humanism Honor Society dedicated a day of recognition to residents and fellows, encouraging medical students at chapters throughout the nation to show their gratitude and appreciation. Thank a Resident and Fellow Day has since expanded to hundreds of programs around the country. You can view more on the Mayo Clinic Thank a Resident and Fellow Day web page.

The post Mayo’s residents and fellows make impact in the hospital and beyond appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

"There's a need for biomarkers that can help differentiate infantile from later-onset forms of disease in a presymptomatic individual," said Devin Oglesbee, Ph.D., a consultant in the Division of Laboratory Genetics and Genomics’ Clinical Biochemical Genetics Laboratory. "Developing new clinical assays for rare genetic disorders will help us get treatments to patients faster and before irreversible symptoms appear."

Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences predoctoral candidate Rachel Wurth is working with Dr. Oglesbee and the Clinical Biochemical Genetics Laboratory on research that aims to discover new disease biomarkers that will complement current laboratory testing to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of Krabbe disease. 

"Our laboratory has a longstanding interest to improve the diagnosis of Krabbe disease," says Wurth. "My project aims to continue this effort by evaluating changes in many metabolites at once with a technique called untargeted metabolomics. Being able to conduct this research within the clinical laboratory provides an exciting opportunity to streamline translation and allow patients to benefit from research findings more quickly."

The outcomes of this research could lead to improvements in the diagnosis of Krabbe disease, predicting the course of disease and improving understanding of what changes in metabolism contribute to the condition.

Wurth recently was awarded a multi-year grant from Minnesota-based Rosenau Family Research Foundation. Paul and Susan Rosenau's granddaughter lost her battle with Krabbe disease at 2 years of age. Their family’s foundation specifically supports research on Krabbe disease and cystic fibrosis. The award is $112,718 over two years.

The post Student’s research aims to uncover new biomarkers for Krabbe disease appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Nooren's graduate training included classes about cancer, but Dr. Razidlo suggested Nooren look into an additional opportunity: a course specifically about pancreatic cancer where she could meet others in the field. Nooren applied and was accepted to attend a week-long intensive pancreatic cancer course at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York — a prestigious program that brings together about 30 nationally and internationally known researchers. "I was excited about the idea of the course — and also nervous," she says. "It was an opportunity to meet many scientists whose journal articles I had been reading."  

But first, she had to figure out how to attain funding to attend the course. The answer was a special — and until now, anonymous — award earmarked for Mayo’s Ph.D. students.     

Since 1999, graduate students who are eligible to take a specialized course outside Mayo have been able to apply to the graduate school for a competitive travel grant to pay their tuition and expenses. The award was financed by an anonymous benefactor, and nearly 100 students over the years have taken advantage of the opportunity.  Students have gone to courses at sites like Woods Hole, Massachusetts, or Jackson Laboratories in Maine, to learn new microscopy techniques or new approaches in genetics. After they return, students send a thank you note for the funding. The donor has been happy to receive a summary from students about what they learned, but otherwise has remained in the shadows.  

This year, the source of the funding came to light: two Mayo educators who initiated the grant decades ago. At her family's request, the newly named Lily Weinshilboum Travel Award for Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, honors the memory of the trained anatomist and biomedical researcher who taught at Mayo Clinic for 25 years. Lily Weinshilboum died in 2023 at the age of 86, but the grant she first imagined is continuing to contribute to the success of Mayo's Ph.D. students. 

The importance of daring and determination 

In the naming of the grant, Lily Weinshilboum's family hopes students will learn about her dedication to biomedical education and her enterprising spirit, says her husband and co-benefactor, Mayo Clinic internist Richard Weinshilboum, M.D., the Mary Lou and John H. Dasburg Professor of Cancer Genomics Research.  

As a young woman, Lily Weinshilboum traveled independently to the United States from Taiwan in 1954, determined to advance her interest in science. A scholarship enabled her to attend Ottawa University in Kansas. She went on to train as a neuroanatomist at the University of Kansas in Lawrence and was a teaching assistant in graduate school when she met her husband, who was then a medical student. After completing her master's degree, she worked with a research group in Boston and later in a lab at the National Institutes of Health as Dr. Weinshilboum completed his training. The Weinshilboums came to Mayo Clinic in Rochester in 1972 for the next stage of their careers. Lily Weinshilboum's outgoing and nurturing personality made her a dynamic anatomy instructor in the medical school, where she connected with students as they embarked on their training and began to recognize the importance of their roles in patients' lives.  

Daring and determination were themes in her life. Once she had retired, she came up with the idea for a fund to help graduate students take an extra step on their career paths. "She wanted to help graduate students gain perspective, learn new topics and begin to create networks with researchers by attending meetings that stretched beyond what was readily available at Mayo," says Dr. Weinshilboum, who serves as a Ph.D. mentor and dissertation advisor for graduate students. "We viewed the travel grants as one way we could help." 

Former graduate students — now established researchers and educators — attest to the lifelong impact of those experiences. Regenerative science researcher and dermatologist Saranya Wyles, M.D., Ph.D., received travel funding in 2014 during her training in Mayo's Medical Scientist Training Program. The money allowed her to attend a meeting in the United Kingdom focused on genetic engineering of stem cells. "Attending this event as a graduate student was a defining moment in my journey in regenerative medicine research," she says. "It reinforced my commitment to this field and paved the way for my current role as a research laboratory leader. Now I have the privilege of training Ph.D. and M.D.-Ph.D. students, and I encourage them to seek out similar opportunities and apply for the grant as well." 

Gaining confidence and building a network 

For Nooren, the meeting earlier this year at Cold Spring Harbor already has been a game-changer. The week of lectures gave her ideas that she brought back to her research in Dr. Razidlo's lab, including a new approach in microscopy that will expand her work. She gained confidence as she gave a presentation of her own research findings and joined scientific conversations with seasoned scientists. "It made me braver, just feeling that my questions were valid and that I could bring my expertise," she says. "Even in graduate seminars now, I'm more confident, and when we discuss works in progress, I'm more likely to raise my hand and say, 'Hey, have you tried this?'" 

Nooren also met like-minded colleagues as she learned about other pancreatic cancer labs around the country and met potential future collaborators. She hopes other students will apply for the grant to attend a course that expands their own research interests. "It's such an opportunity to connect, even though you're a student and you're at the first stages of becoming a scientist," she says. "You're learning and interacting with everyone, and you're all putting your heads together to try to solve the problems in the field. It was an amazing experience." 

That's exactly what Mrs. Weinshilboum intended in establishing the award, says Dr. Weinshilboum.  

"She read students' summary notes with great interest and a great sense of pride in having been able to help make these experiences possible," he says. "She was focused on training the next generation and encouraging them to do bold things."

The post Donors’ grant enables Ph.D. students to venture and learn appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Integrated Education and Research Building

Arizona. Bold. Forward. is Mayo Clinic's largest and most visionary campus expansion project to date. The Integrated Education and Research Building marks the conclusion of this monumental capital expansion that more than doubled the campus square-footage and offers expanded capacity and new capabilities. A defining hallmark of Arizona. Bold. Forward. is the 150,000-square-foot Integrated Education and Research Building, which celebrates the ingenuity of teamwork that has characterized Mayo Clinic since its inception.

The building on Mayo Clinic's Phoenix campus greatly expands education and research space for a seamless transition from biomedical education and research to patient care. Here, students and trainees will learn alongside physicians and researchers, gain hands-on experience, and expand their network of peers. Scientists, students, and trainees are challenged to pioneer new scientific discoveries and given access to the resources and support to make that possible. Discoveries made through this integrated approach will enhance the way people experience Mayo Clinic care — whether at one of our physical locations or virtually. This unified location for education and research allows for intentional collaboration with each other and new and existing partners, such as Arizona State University.

STRONGER TOGETHER

The three-story building expands Mayo's education and research collaboration with the practice to better serve the complex unmet needs of patients.

Education

The IERB is home to Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and its five schools: Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education, Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic School of Biomedical Sciences, and Mayo Clinic School of Continuous Professional Development.

• Approximately 45,000 square feet dedicated to Education
• Two 60-person classrooms and two 30-person classrooms
• Six smaller classrooms (10-person capacity)
• Objective Structured Clinical Examination suite including six simulation exam rooms
• Library space with:
  • 10 individual study rooms
  • Four group study rooms
  • Sectra anatomy table
  • Anatomical models
  • Physical and e-book resources
• More than a dozen conference rooms
• Small event center with 120-person capacity
• Center for Procedural Innovation Lab and 60-person classroom
• Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences students have access to the 20 wet labs for research
• Virtual reality room

Research

• 45,000 square-feet of new research laboratory space for Mayo Clinic Arizona
• Total laboratory space to house 25-30 investigators including career scientists, clinician investigators, and clinicians engaged in research
• Specialized facilities for flow cytometry, single-cell analytics, and genomic analysis
• Cutting-edge imaging capabilities, including two photon microscopy, live-cell imaging, spinning disk confocal imaging, light-sheet microscopy
• Integration with learners in the Mayo Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine will allow Ph.D., M.D., and M.D./Ph.D. students to work directly with Mayo Clinic scientists
• State-of-the-art conferencing facilities to promote collaborations within Mayo Clinic and around the world

The post Building the Future of Education and Research in Arizona appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences welcomed its latest class of Ph.D. candidates this month. The students — from across the country and around the world — are now beginning their training on Mayo Clinic's campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota.

The graduate school received a record 1,046 submissions last year for 45 spots in the school's eight graduate tracks. Students come to Mayo with varied scientific interests and reasons for pursuing a doctoral degree. What they all have in common is an interest in research that will bring new ideas, innovations and hope to patients.

Meet a few members of the class as they share what brought them to the graduate program.

Motivated to learn about the brain

Shanon Rego first became curious about neuroscience when he faced a health issue as a teenager. The tests he underwent made him interested in learning more about the brain. He began exploring neuroscience research through Mayo's programs for young scientists.

As a student at the University of South Florida, he joined the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program and worked with neuroimmunology researcher Sandro Ferreira Da Mesquita, Ph.D. After completing his degree, he stayed on in Dr. Da Mesquita's lab, conducting research in the Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP). The program gave him the opportunity to develop his own project, present his findings at a Society for Neuroscience conference and apply to the neuroscience track of the Ph.D. program at Mayo Clinic in Florida. "My exposure to the field of neuroimmunology has been eye-opening," he says. "The more I learn about the intricate connections between these different systems, the greater my curiosity grows."

Hometowns: Mumbai, India and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Research goals: "My aspiration is to contribute to the understanding of how neuroimmune factors influence the onset and progression of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy, among others. I aim to emphasize the importance of enhancing the connection between the scientific community and the public."

Favorite pastimes: Photography, cooking and watching cricket, soccer and football.

Using biostatistics to improve patient care

Chelsea Powell, M.D., is a general surgery resident at Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education. She's also one of the first five matriculants in the graduate school's newly established Clinician-Scientist Academic Research Excellence Ph.D. (CARE Ph.D.) program. Through the program, residents and fellows can pause their clinical training to pursue graduate-level studies in biomedical research in an area of their choice.

For Dr. Powell, joining the Clinical and Translational Science graduate track with a concentration in applied biostatistics is another way to improve her care of patients. "While my surgical residency is devoted to cultivating my clinical acumen, developing the skillset necessary to perform quality research requires similar attention," she says. "I view my graduate studies not as a departure from my training but as an integral component of it, and I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to pursue this at Mayo Clinic."

Hometown: Frederick, Maryland.

Research goals: "My clinical work has exposed me to the challenges of applying current data to patient care. I'm interested in the methodologies we use to answer tough medical questions, specifically the integration of randomized and observational data to inform our clinical practice."

Favorite pastimes: Running, hiking and reading.

Delving into genetics to address cancer

Alani Perkin has long been intrigued by the role of genetics in development and disease. As a biology major at Harris-Stowe State University, she studied gene expression in fruit flies. Her interest in cancer took off at Washington University School of Medicine when she conducted postbaccalaureate research in the cancer genetics laboratory of Jessica Silva-Fisher, Ph.D., a 2011 graduate of Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Perkin also explored drug development and innovation during industry internships, but the experience and mentorship in Dr. Silva-Fisher's lab provided important direction for Perkin's next steps at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

"Dr. Silva-Fisher played a significant role in my decision to come to Mayo," says Perkin, now a student in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology track. "She always spoke so highly of her time here and encouraged me to apply. She emphasized Mayo's dedication to diversity which was important in my choice of graduate programs."

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois.

Research goals: "My mother is a breast cancer survivor, and her journey inspired my decision to investigate cancer during my predoctoral studies. I hope to address the genetic risk factors involved in cancer development that can be used as methods of prevention and to develop patient-specific treatments. Because race plays a significant role in many cancers, I aim to incorporate a focus on health disparities in my Ph.D. work."

Favorite pastimes: Playing basketball, practicing saxophone and spending time with family.

Aiming to improve heart health

Having family members with heart conditions, Jordan Parks had seen firsthand how cardiovascular disease can affect people's quality of life. After earning a bachelor's degree in health and exercise science from Colorado State University, she worked at Mayo Clinic as an exercise physiologist, conducting tests to evaluate heart failure. She discovered she loved connecting with patients and applying the information she'd learned during her training. The experience inspired her to become a senior research technologist in the cardiovascular research lab of Courtney Wheatley-Guy, Ph.D., who studies exercise as therapy for disease. During the four years she was a member of Dr. Wheatley-Guy's team, Parks determined the next step of her training.

"I'm a first-generation college student and my parents have always emphasized the importance of education for me and my siblings. They encouraged me to pursue anything that I found interesting and to do it with a passion," says Parks, now a student in the Clinical and Translational Science track at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. "My time spent in Dr. Wheatley-Guy's lab has also been a major influence on my desire to continue my education. Having a supportive lab leader who celebrates your own personal goals helped me make the decision to pursue my Ph.D."

Hometown: Litchfield Park, Arizona.

Research goals: "I hope to expand on research on advanced heart failure therapies. I am particularly interested in learning more about mitochondrial metabolism and its influence on prevention of cardiac disease. After completing my Ph.D., I hope to continue working within research and contribute to the clinical care of patients in the cardiovascular disease department."

Favorite pastimes: Riding horses and competing in dressage, hiking with her dog and running.

The post New graduate students poised to drive innovation appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

When I was diagnosed — as an adult — with autism spectrum disorder, my first feeling was one of relief. The diagnosis explained to me why I had spent years feeling out of sync in social situations, wondering if I was responding appropriately to other people. The stress of daily interactions took an enormous amount of energy.

The diagnosis also explained some of the frustrations I experienced as a student in a research lab. The bright lights overhead often gnawed at my nerves. One pipette that makes a repetitive piercing sound (other students affectionately call it “The Beeper”) made me want to run out of the room.

With the diagnosis came grief and anger too. How had it taken so many years to get a diagnosis?

I had always been a good student and a nondisruptive kid. For years, my parents and teachers had addressed my anxieties but overlooked the source of the problem, as many do with well-behaved, female children. In fact, 80% of girls with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remain undiagnosed at age 18, likely because they mask their symptoms instead of acting out as many boys do.

Regardless of when the diagnosis comes, people with ASD can feel as though they are “living as a square in a circle world,” as a therapist described it to me.

Taking steps to adapt

When I finally received a diagnosis, I was empowered to take steps to adapt. As a Ph.D. student in the Clinical and Translational Sciences track at Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, I needed to find the right equipment that would enable me to work comfortably in a laboratory. I reached out to Mayo Clinic’s Office of Wellness and Academic Support — Disability Access Services, which assists Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science students who have a need for any type of disability accommodation. The office can help address accessibility issues in classrooms and lab spaces.

Within the office, a disability resource specialist met with me, provided information and offered several suggestions. I made arrangements to take periodic breaks from the lab to mitigate the effect of the bright, overhead lights. I learned about headphones I now wear at work to block out the sound of the dreaded Beeper. Among the suggested accommodations, I had the opportunity to choose those that would be helpful. Some of them, like extra time for exams, I don’t feel I need.

A new scientific goal

Importantly, my diagnosis steered my research focus. My scientific goal is to enable earlier diagnosis for ASD. I aim to develop an objective diagnostic test for autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. I hope to help other children and families receive a diagnosis as early as possible so they can seek supportive care and adaptive equipment to improve their lives.

As I chose a dissertation advisor, I was excited to join the laboratory of reproductive immunologist Sylvie Girard, Ph.D., in the Department of Immunology. Dr. Girard valued my life experiences and my desire to identify a practical biomarker that could be used in the clinic to identify infants at high risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders.

We decided on the placenta as a place to begin looking for biomarkers. Pregnancy always involves inflammation, but too much inflammation can be detrimental to a growing fetus. The placenta, which is typically discarded after a baby is born, can serve as a proxy for the biological influences on childhood development, providing a window into the prenatal environment and fetal exposures.

At Mayo Clinic, we have the opportunity to study donated placental tissue samples for inflammatory markers. In addition, we can obtain consent from mothers to review data from their children’s medical charts as the children grow up. We then can correlate findings in the placenta with physicians’ clinical notes from routine pediatric appointments, observing children’s delays in hitting developmental milestones, up to age 24 months. The laboratory and clinical information may help us identify key molecules that could serve as early indicators of ASD risk.

Demystifying a diagnosis

For me, having information about my own ASD has been liberating and inspiring. However, as one ASD expert has explained about the variety of experiences that exist on the spectrum, “When you meet one person with autism — you’ve met one person with autism.” Often, when I disclose my diagnosis to others, a common response is, “You seem fine. Your autism must be very mild.” But autism can present challenges that others can’t see. My autism affects my life daily.

I am grateful to have the opportunity to modify my work environment so I can bring my expertise and enthusiasm to the important issue of neurodiversity. Through honest conversations and my laboratory research, I hope to continue demystifying ASD.

—Lizz Cervantes

The post Demystifying my diagnosis of autism appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Growing up as the child of a voice instructor, Emily Hardy developed a lifelong interest in singing. But the third-year student at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine never dreamed her interest in vocals would lead to research related to the first larynx transplant at Mayo Clinic.

"When I first learned that Mayo Clinic was advancing the larynx transplant, I thought the procedure is something that will be exciting for Mayo to be able to do for patients — something I couldn't even fathom," she says. "I knew I wanted to be fully involved in advancing the research in this area."

In addition to her medical degree, Hardy is pursuing a master's degree at Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Her research project is looking at ways to make the post-laryngeal transplant regimen easier for patients. Because receiving a transplant requires lifelong immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection of the new organ, Hardy is investigating removing the cells of a laryngeal transplant model, looking for approaches that reduce the immune response and, hopefully, the need for medication.

"If we can reduce the immune response or the need for immunosuppression that could make laryngeal transplant available to more patients and improve their quality of life," she says. 

Voice as a hobby and a scientific study

Finding joy in singing with others, Hardy participated in a choir in college, and, when she came to medical school at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, she performed with a community-based barbershop group.

"I've always loved anything related to the voice," she says. "When I came to medical school, I'd never thought of incorporating that into my career until I began learning about laryngology and ear nose and throat surgery and realized how those specialties matched that specific interest."

As a medical student also interested in conducting biomedical research, her interest in the intersection of that work and singing would put her at the cutting edge of a brand-new field of study: regenerative sciences. During her first year of medical school, as she sought opportunities to work in a lab, she found David Lott, M.D., chair of the Department of Otolaryngology (ENT) - Head and Neck Surgery/Audiology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. His research applies the approaches of regenerative medicine to restoring the voices of patients who have had a laryngectomy — a surgery to remove the voice box.

Regenerative medicine is an approach that shifts the focus from treating disease to rebuilding health by repairing, replacing or restoring damaged tissues, cells or organs. As director of the Head and Neck Regenerative Medicine Lab at Mayo Clinic, Dr. Lott has focused on establishing techniques to regenerate the voice box and restore its abilities after diseases or traumas.

His work led to the first laryngeal transplant at Mayo Clinic — actually replacing a damaged voice box with all its necessary functions. People whose voice box was damaged from injury, cancer or the residual effects of radiation treatment — as many as 60,000 people in the U.S. — can neither speak with their natural voices nor breathe through their noses. Mayo Clinic is in the process of establishing the first ongoing larynx transplant program in the country. Dr. Lott and colleagues are advancing the transplant procedure and also exploring other regenerative approaches to larynx restoration, including the use of stem cells and growth factors to help grow functional tissue.

As Hardy learned about the lab's various approaches to laryngeal transplant and the potential to restore function through regenerative sciences, she knew she wanted to contribute to research to further options for voice-impaired patients.

The field of regenerative medicine is so new that few people are versed in its principles and techniques. Mayo Clinic is at the forefront of training the workforce in this emerging field, offering doctoral and post-graduate training in Regenerative Sciences through the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Hardy is an example of the future physician-scientists that Mayo is training to deliver the newest regenerative technologies and carry on the work for the next generation.

"Education plays a key role, complementing the research and practice components, in the laryngeal transplant," says Dr. Lott. The entire staff involved in a transplant rehearsed and trained for it, including nurses who underwent specialized in-service training and online courses. Training for the laryngeal transplant provided a unique learning opportunity for residents at Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education, including head and neck surgical resident Payam Entezami, M.D., who assisted the surgical team. 

To address patient needs following the transplant, Hardy found she could amplify her medical school training by pausing it to pursue a master's degree in regenerative sciences, attending classes about its innovative approaches and conducting research in Dr. Lott's lab. She is among Mayo's first students in the program, and says she is impressed by the topics involved — stem cells, tissue engineering, 3D bioprinting — and the vast areas of medicine it touches.

"There are so many different approaches within regenerative medicine and ways to apply it to specific clinical areas of interest," she says.

"We’re educating a specialized clinical workforce of the future, who will have the understanding to manifest the potential held within regenerative medicine," says Saranya Wyles, M.D., Ph.D. a dermatologist and associate director of education at Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics. "Regenerative technologies, focused on restoring form and function, have the potential to transform standard of care. The approach begets a new set of skills."

Dr. Lott is enthusiastic that Hardy's research will contribute to the growing information about laryngeal transplant. He's also emphatic about the importance of the various educational opportunities emerging in regenerative medicine.

"We're training the next generation of scientists and clinicians who are going to be pushing the field ahead," he says. "It's one thing to be able to develop regenerative approaches for patients now. It's a whole other to establish the experts in this new field who can help patients for years and years down the road."

The post A student’s approach in biomedical research aims to give others a voice appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Mayo Clinic's new Clinical Trialist Training Program teaches physicians and researchers how to design and implement clinical trials.

"We are true pioneers in this area," says Prasad Iyer, M.D., chair of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and director of the new program. "Right now, there are no standards for training clinical trialists. We are blazing a new but much-needed path."

The Clinical Trialist Training Program, offered by Mayo's Center for Clinical and Translational Science, provides 40% protected time over two years for mentored, individualized training. Each scholar designs and implements a pilot trial and completes experiential learning rotations and a curated selection of graduate coursework.

A 'tremendous learning opportunity'

Before starting the Clinical Trialist Training Program, Ugur Sener, M.D., a neuro-oncologist, says he faced two key challenges with trial development: limited research time and lack of training in trial design. The program has helped him overcome these barriers.

"The Clinical Trialist Training Program is a tremendous learning opportunity," says Dr. Sener. "Thanks to the program, I am the principal investigator of a study that opened in May, and this is paving the way for many additional opportunities."

Mentors have contributed greatly to his learning experience: advising on trial design, co-authoring papers and helping him connect with industry partners.

After completing coursework on regulatory issues, Dr. Sener says that his improved knowledge led him to work as a section editor of a book on translational neurosurgery. In addition, he used knowledge from a health disparities course to develop two additional studies, one for a large Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) grant application and another under review by Mayo's Institutional Review Board.

Mentoring will 'get you where you want to go more quickly'

Jian Campian, M.D., Ph.D., a medical neuro-oncologist, is a Clinical Trialist Training Program mentor. In her experience, many clinical trialists are self-taught, and that leads to unnecessary mistakes and failures. Career trajectories are also more uncertain for self-trained trialists without mentors to guide them.

When mentoring clinical trialists, Dr. Campian tailors her approach based on the trainee's interests. A trainee may be interested in early-stage or later-stage trials or want to focus on different types of trials, such as signal finding, prevention and screening, or treatment.

"Interest is the best teacher," she says. "There are so many ways to do clinical research."

Dr. Campian also focuses on each trainee's career goals, adjusting the scope and depth of her mentoring based on their needs. Some trainees may benefit from getting involved in multicenter studies, where they can learn the ropes of clinical trials through collaboration and networking with scientists across the country. Other trainees, particularly those looking to make their mark in academia, may benefit from "doing everything from scratch," starting with designing small trials and overseeing every aspect from start to finish.

"A good mentoring structure will help you get where you want to go in your career more quickly," says Dr. Campian. "It also leads to better science."

An ecosystem that advances research and careers

The Clinical Trialist Training Program started in 2022 and began accepting applications in 2023.

Dr. Iyer says this is just the beginning. The program is systematically monitoring outcomes and has plans for future growth.

In Dr. Iyer's view, this program aligns with Mayo Clinic's institutional focus on clinical trials and on training and inspiring the next generation of research leaders.

"Our goal is to foster an ecosystem that enables promising scholars to grow into successful clinical trialists, advancing their careers and accelerating research for the benefit of all people," says Dr. Iyer.

The post Training the next generation of clinical trial leaders appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Thirty-one Minnesota high school students are participating in a five-day residency at Mayo Clinic in Rochester next week, learning about health science careers ranging from echocardiography to physician assistant.

The Career Immersion Program, presented by Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences, offers high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to gain hands-on experience with experts in some of the most sought-after health science fields. More than 250 students from across Minnesota have come to Mayo Clinic to explore careers since the program's inception in 2017. Many have gone on to careers in healthcare.

"The Career Immersion Program has proven to open the doors for many high school juniors and seniors who are keenly interested in health science and medical careers," says Martha-Gracia Knuttinen, M.D., Ph.D., associate dean for admissions, diversity, equity and inclusion at Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences. "During their days at Mayo Clinic, they learn firsthand about the most in-demand healthcare careers with personalized attention. They learn how to navigate the pathways to those careers, and understand the tools needed to be successful. It's an extraordinary opportunity, and the students who come here are motivated to take full advantage."

The program will begin Sunday evening, June 23, with an orientation in downtown Rochester. The school provides room and board. The  students have full schedules each day through Thursday. On Monday, students will have experiential sessions in histology, ophthalmic assistant, paramedic, physical therapy, and echocardiography careers. The focus on Tuesday will be radiography, nuclear medicine, sonography, clinical neurophysiology, phlebotomy and respiratory therapy. Nurse anesthesia, surgical first assistant, pharmacy technician, radiation therapist, MRI and social worker are among other career areas featured.

"One key to the Career Immersion Program's success is students' hands-on participation with the tools of the health sciences trades — life-preserving emergency medicine paramedic equipment, ultrasound equipment for heart scans, specialized MRI diagnostics, physical therapy techniques and more, in the 18 health science careers that learners experience with us,” says Mary Bany, operations administrator, Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences.   

Admission to the program is competitive, and participants come from diverse backgrounds and from all over Minnesota.

For news media: Media are welcome to attend a Career Immersion Program session and talk with students at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 25. To attend, contact Jay Furst, Mayo Clinic Research and Education Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu.

# # #

The post Minnesota high school students get hands-on experience with healthcare careers at Mayo Clinic appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.