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Kathleen Cullion Kathleen “Kate” Cullion always wanted to be “some sort of doctor.” Her laboratory experiences at Assumption, where she was a biology major with a biotechnology concentration, propelled her toward research, as well as seeing patients. “I was really impressed by the small class sizes at Assumption and the close interaction with the professors,” Kate said. “When I told one of my professors (Patricia Reisert, emerita) that I wanted to do research, she helped me get a summer research assistantship at UMASS Medical School (UMMS). That’s why I am where I am today.” Kate went on to receive the Biology/Biotechnology award at the 2003 Honors Convocation. After graduation, she headed to a prestigious research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health. She is in her third year in UMMS’s combined MD/PHD program. The dual-degree program offers a new “bench-to-bedside” approach to training physicians who also want to conduct research. Kate will complete the extended program in five more years. Still, she doesn’t mind tacking on a few extra years to her medical training because she’ll graduate in 2012 with a medical degree and a doctorate, which will allow her to combine clinical experience and laboratory research. Applicants to the highly-competitive MD/PHD program must present a strong background in the biological and physical sciences, as well as substantial laboratory-based research experience. “I believe that I was admitted to this program because an Assumption education is so strong, personal and hands-on,” Kate said. “The professors are excited about what they do and so into helping their students learn. I graduated from Assumption confident in my abilities as a student. I felt that I had what I needed to succeed in medical school.” In addition to her clinical training, which includes patient care, Kate is conducting research that she hopes will enable her to identify targets within T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) cancer cells that help a specific protein spur uncontrolled cell growth. Kate also hopes to identify novel therapeutic treatments for patients with T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
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Class Year: 2003