Please accept the enclosed documents as my application to the Graduate Student Support Program for the 2018-2019 academic year. I believe that I am particularly qualified for the Anne T. Bowling fellowship and hope that my research plan and career goals align with your selection criteria.
My collective research experiences from undergraduate, veterinary education, internship, residency training, REACH program, and two years of the Ph.D. study, has shown me that research is an invaluable way to contribute to the advancement of the veterinary profession. I have identified cardiovascular physiology and familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) as my primary research interest. During the REACH fellowship and Ph.D. study with Dr. Joshua Stern
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Additionally, the evaluation of cardiac function is crucial when treating critical patients. With these considerations, I believe my Ph.D. training will provide further both my research endeavors and help me establish a unique skillset as a clinician-scientist. In the past two decades, many clinicians and researchers have been conducting studies to identify the genetic components of various critical illness in human patients because much of the pathology and heterogeneity that we encounter in the emergency department and intensive care unit is substantially influenced by genetic makeup of our patients. However, no major genetic studies have been performed for critical illness in veterinary patients. Therefore, it is clear that the knowledge and techniques that I will obtain during my Ph.D. training will provide great opportunity to carve out my niche research area in the study of the genetics of critical illness in the veterinary patients. In addition to my interest in this Ph.D. research proposal, my career goal is to be employed as a clinician, professor and scientist in veterinary academia. I am confident that the training I will gain through my Ph.D. study will continue to propel my career forward. My educational and clinical experiences are strengthened by the perseverance and interpersonal skills I have gained since arriving in the United States 15 years ago to pursue my dream of becoming a veterinarian. I am proud of my international background and believe that having training and clinical experience in both the United States and Japan strengthens my application. These diverse veterinary experiences have enhanced my ability to relate to people from all backgrounds and given me a sound appreciation for the cultural variety that is found in veterinary academia. Upon completion of my PhD program, I strive to act as a bridge between the United States and