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Electromagnetic device stimulates student research
Between studying medical textbook chapters, Marisa McGinley, OMS III, wrote one of her own

By Matt Bates

In coming to OU-COM, Marisa McGinley, OMS III, had a modest goal: “to take advantage of research opportunities and gain some experience in human research.”

Now, in just her second year of medical school, she is the lead author on a chapter for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, a book currently in press at Nova Science Publishers. She and her research mentor Brian Clark, Ph. D., assistant professor of neuromuscular biology, also have co-authored an article soon to appear in Experimental Gerontology.

McGinley describes transcranial magnetic stimulation as a noninvasive method that uses electromagnetic induction to excite neurons in the brain. Currently, it is used largely for research purposes, but it has been shown to have potential as both a diagnostic tool and a possible treatment for neurologic and psychiatric conditions including Parkinson’s disease and depression, and as an aid in stroke rehabilitation.

McGinleys began her work in the summer 2009 Research and Scholarly Advancement Fellowship with Clark, who is also director of OU-COM’s Institute for Neuromusculoskeletal Research.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a relatively new tool in medicine. It was developed about 25 years ago, and the first successful study of it was conducted in 1985, but the technique has started to become more popular in the last ten years.

“It is a very novel and exciting technology,” McGinley says. “I feel privileged to have been exposed to it.”

Although this was McGinley’s first experience with the technology, she did research in organic chemistry, molecular biology and biochemistry as an undergraduate student at the College of Wooster. During her senior year, she researched and wrote a thesis on the evolution of a family of proteins called phosphagen kinases.

At medical school, McGinley knew she wanted to take her scholarly activity to the next level.

Her project with Clark used transcranial magnetic stimulation to study the effects of aging on specific neuromuscular functions of the brain. She assisted with recruiting participants and with collecting and analyzing data.

After producing a paper based on this research, Clark approached McGinley about authoring a book chapter on the subject with him. Although he worked with her on the chapter, she was responsible for the majority of the writing, Clark says.

Having worked with McGinley on several projects, Clark was impressed with her motivation and passion for research, explaining that “she came to the laboratory with the assumption that our research environment would be productive.” He adds that he was also inspired by her compassion.

“I was reminded of how to effectively and patiently deal with human subjects,” Clark says. “Our medical students at OU-COM almost always excel in their compassion for and professional treatment of study participants.”

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is slated for publication in late 2010, when McGinley will be busy with clinical rotations. As for her future plans, McGinley is interested in eventually pursuing a residency in neurology and possibly a research fellowship, to use and expand the skills she developed working with Clark.

“I believe incorporating research into my career will help me stay intellectually curious and in tune with cutting edge medicine,” McGinley says. “It’s important as physicians to be constantly asking questions and furthering our knowledge; research is an incredibly rewarding way to collaborate with other physicians and scientists to find better ways to care for patients.”