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Psychology
Articles
Getting Inside a Criminal's Mind
Putting Thought into Cognition
Rats and Students on the Brain
Fighting Depression on a Cellular Level
Fighting
Depression on a Cellular Level
Gigi
Tsz Hin Kwok
IMAGINE if one of your family members had a mental illness such as depression. Would you be desperate to find the most suitable treatment for him or her, simply so that they would not have to suffer as much? How helpless would you feel watching someone on the street having a nervous breakdown? Well, do not worry! There are people who dedicate their career to discovering and implementing new methods of treating such cases.
Many minds wonder, “What it is like to be a scientist working in laboratory full-time?” A brief insight comes from the neurobiology research team at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, located in Darlinghurst. Neurology is the study of the biology of the nervous system, which includes the brain, the spinal cord and all of the peripheral nerves. During the visit to the research unit, we gained a greater insight into science and how scientists devote their time in the labs.
The neurobiology research program at the Garvan Institute is one of the leading investigation units in the study of causes of mental illness in Australia. They mainly focus on the nerves and cells that cause the disease. The group led by their program director, Professor Peter Schofield, has been investigating and trying to find cures for mental illnesses. Mental illness affects one-in-five Australians, but it also affects their families and surrounding communities. With many sub-programs running within the group, such as research into depression and dementia, the neurobiologist aims to provide effective solutions to treat mental illnesses.
The neurobiology teams work in the same laboratory every day, yet each scientist may approach the same experiment differently. Senior research officer, Trevor Lewis, checks, maintains and breeds the cells that are essential for further investigation twice a week. The cells provide precise indication of how human brain cells function. His job is to make sure that the cells are growing rapidly in a healthy environment so that they can be used as suitable experimental specimens. This means that Trevor has to transfer some of the healthy growing cells into some other clean flasks with preservatives that give the cells necessary nutrients, as well as maintaining a healthy environment for them to grow. Generally people think doing such a job twice a week would be quite repetitive and boring, yet scientists like Trevor enjoy doing this because there is always something new or unusual. In fact, he enjoys every part of science as he claims, “you do it not because you are made to do it, but because you love doing it and you really enjoy doing it”.
On the other side, Trevor’s partner, postgraduate researcher Nathan Absalom, carried out an experiment of separating the cells using the technique, electrolysis, before his lunch break. It actually took him more than an hour to get some data recorded. Even though he was unsuccessful with his experiment at some stages, he feels that this is what everyone experiences when conducting experiments and his positive response led to a better result. Pressure to publish papers sometimes involves the scientist and the researchers working overtime.
The life
of a modern day scientist reaches far beyond the white lab coat and into
the business suit. They are actively involved in collecting funds, organising
meetings, getting projects, publishing papers and much more. Peter Schofield’s
job as the head of the research program of the neurobiology team, involves
seeking financial sources to support the projects currently being conducted
or planed. He states “It is my job to provide a pressure-less working
environment for my fellow colleagues so they can work without the fear
of losing their jobs in the near future.” Together, the scientists
at the Garvan institute are working together for a brighter future for
the mentally ill of Australia.
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