Shannon Helsper

Why FSU?

I chose to attend FSU to pursue my doctorate due to the affiliation with the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL). I appreciate the international influence and collaboration embedded in the research at the NHMFL.
 

Motivation to pursue a graduate degree

I am very interested in translational research, progressing potential treatments from the in vitro stage to pre-clinical in vivo testing and assisting their evolution into, hopefully, future clinical applications. A PhD in Biomedical Engineering will allow me to expand upon the skills I developed from my bachelor's in cellular and molecular biology and my master's in biomedical engineering and contribute to societal progress through scientific research.
 

Importance and impact of research

Stroke is a leading cause of disability in the United States; however, only one effective drug is used in clinical practice, which benefits a very small fraction of those affected. An effective therapy is needed to minimize short and long-term ischemic damage. My research aims to address this need by investigating the therapeutic effects of human mesenchymal stem cells and their secretions, particularly exosomes, through high field magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy (MRI/S). During an ischemic event, disrupted blood flow leads to osmotic swelling and ionic homeostatic disruption that culminates in neuronal death. Sodium as a quantifiable metric of ischemic lesion and tissue recovery is linked to this acute disruption. Longitudinal analysis of sodium and metabolite levels in the ischemic region through MRI/S can help to quantify sub-acute and long-term ischemic recovery.
 

Advice for prospective graduate students

My advice for anyone considering graduate school is to be open to new ideas, but find something you are passionate about. Ultimately, you are going to spend several years investing in a specific field, so it is important to enjoy what you are doing.
 

Accomplishments during graduate career

I was recently awarded the NIH F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award for my proposal on evaluating mesenchymal stem cell derived therapies for ischemic stroke through high field magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy. In spring 2020, I received the Young Scientist Award from Elsevier’s Journal of Magnetic Resonance (JMR) for an outstanding paper at the 61st Experimental Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Conference (ENC). I was one of the inaugural recipients of the FAMU-FSU Dean’s Engineering Fellows Program that started fall 2018.
 

Career aspirations

My career aspirations are to further advance my knowledge and skills to be of value to society through development of translational research. I see myself as a future independent researcher in either industry or academia.