Dr. Ramesh Subramanian, Assistant Director, Division of BIOMMed, Coordinator COBRE, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine speaks about the Louisiana Biomedical Research Network. With a background in molecular biology and interest in cancer research, he was able to do a post-doc at and then join a lab focused on oncolytic viral vaccines which kept him in Louisiana. Once there, Dr. Subramanian joined the Louisiana Biomedical Research Network as an Assistant Director.
Background:
“My PhD was in plant genetics many years ago back in India… but I was extensively trained in molecular biology. That’s what got me a postdoctoral position at the… University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria where I was working on cancer biology. So that is how I got into cancer research and… that’s been the primary area of research for me since 2003. I worked for about a year and a half there and then I moved to LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans after I got married to a LSU PhD graduate student then. Now she is a PhD working on oncolytic viral vaccines and that is what I am also working on right now. That’s how I’ve been working in cancer research.”
“The biggest transition [after moving from India] was the vast open, non-crowded spaces as in, the people-per-unit area was so much lesser. That for me was the biggest transition, when you don’t see as many people as you would at any given time in India.”
“I looked around and Gus Kousuolas was looking for postdoctoral researchers with experience in cancer research and siRNA technology, which I had. That’s how we came together and I’ve been with Gus since October of 2005.”
Own Research/Teaching:
“Since [I took over as LBRN program coordinator,] we’ve had two additional COBREs come in here at the Vet school. One was the center for lung biology and disease and the center for preclinical cancer research, which came in earlier this year. I have multiple roles in… the preclinical cancer as well.
“There is not one single silver bullet that transcends all types of cancers. Cancers are so varied and then the more you come across them the more you find that they have different ways of evading therapeutics or they have different ways of expanding their spread in patients. It is always the constant challenge of staying ahead or trying to stay ahead of the fight, which in turn pushes you to try to evolve or develop new therapeutic strategies.”
LBRN Role:
“… then in 2016, when Dr. Kousoulas took over as the PI of the LBRN program, I took over the role of the program coordinator for the Louisiana Biomedical Research Network, the LA INBRE, and have been the program coordinator since.”
“I am the program coordinator for the Louisiana Biomedical Research Network. I, along with Gus, identify the scientific thematic focus, oversee the functioning of the core laboratories… We identify areas… that might need focus either in the scientific thematic focus and/or what additional needs are required through the core laboratories or what additional needs can be served by the core laboratories… We are always trying to see how to expand the role of these cores in assisting the researchers that are funded by the program. How best they can serve. How best they can provide newer technologies or newer equipment and how to use them. These are the roles of the cores and how best they can serve to develop the biomedical research force in the state of Louisiana. So, that’s kind of a broad brush of my role with LBRN.”
“I am intricately involved in every aspect of the functioning of LBRN, so when we do callouts for the Summer Research Program the applications come through me. There are reviewers, but we make a call in conjunction with the PI on how the funds are distributed.
“During this 10 week period [for the summer program] we, me and our team here, arrange for a seminar series to point these summer students with successful researchers or research programs in various fields, not just limited to one type of biomedical research. … They are also trained in basic lab safety, basic research ethics, and also they are provided a training course on how to best present your research. How to develop an oral presentation? How to develop a poster presentation? How to give a talk? What are the highlights of presenting a poster? These are the training modules that are provided and that I organize every year.”
Student Recommendation:
“The summer program is available for undergraduate, graduate, and faculty members. Although the primary focus is on undergrad students…The endeavor [of the summer program] is to place students from or to bring students here to LSU to do research, but they can also carry out research at a flagship institution in their vicinity if they are able to identify a mentor there. Many students are not able to find a mentor, so it becomes my job to help them find a mentor who is in alignment with what they want to do or who can help guide them into understanding biomedical research. The 10 week summer research program is a biomedical research experience, first hand biomedical research for these students.”
“We go and have these outreach sessions. We encourage students to participate there. We encourage them to get information from their nearest LBRN network institution. There is always an institution not very far from most academic sites in the north or in the south. We encourage students to look out for opportunities. We also have the bioinformatics training modules that are regularly posted on our website and our newsletter. Perhaps sign up for our newsletter. Keep checking our website for these opportunities and avail them as they are unveiled. We have a pretty high acceptance rate when it comes to our training modules and so usually encourage as many students as possible… to avail the opportunities.”