Tulane University senior James Rogers has been charting a course in the name of research since he arrived on campus in the fall of 2016. Rogers’ journey has led him from New Orleans to Bethesda, Md., across the Atlantic to Scotland and, most recently, Switzerland, where he spent the summer as a visiting research scholar in the Brain Tumor Center at the University Hospital Zürich (USZ).
Rogers’ clinical research focused on the role of antidepressant drug use in patients diagnosed with glioblastoma (GBM), an extremely aggressive type of brain cancer. Current research on the impact of antidepressants in GBM patients is inconclusive. Rogers examined survival rates for Zürich GBM patients to see whether those who took the drugs lived longer than those who were not on the medication.
“This research topic was given to me based on the USZ Brain Tumor Center’s data availability and my interest in clinical glioblastoma research. My research will be ongoing. I am currently working with several of my mentors on a manuscript on the topic which we plan to submit to the Journal of Neuro-Oncology,” Rogers said.
A native of Monroe, New York, Rogers is a pre-medicine student who is seeking a double major in neuroscience and psychology with a minor in social innovation and social entrepreneurship. He is a research assistant and the lab manager for Dr. Michael Hoerger’s Psycho-Oncology Research Program. Rogers hopes to attend medical school and become either a neurologist or neurosurgeon with a particular focus on brain tumor management and research.
“Jimmy has contributed countless hours to the Psycho-Oncology Research Program since his freshman year, engaging in writing, statistical analysis and data collection. These skills will put him on a path toward becoming a physician-scientist over the next decade,” Hoerger said.
Rogers’ road to Zurich began when he was awarded a ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship from the Embassy of Switzerland in Washington, D.C. He was one of 28 ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship recipients for 2019. The ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship is available for undergraduate and graduate students in the U.S. and Canada who want to conduct research in any discipline at a public Swiss university or research institute for up to three months.
“The experience I gained this summer was extremely valuable because it taught me how to conduct truly independent research that requires adaptive change and resiliency. With ThinkSwiss you must create your own opportunity by securing a position in a research laboratory and then conducting independent research there. Thus, the student is largely responsible for the coordination of the research stay and the research itself,” Rogers said.
In addition to the ThinkSwiss Scholarship, Rogers took advantage of resources available at Tulane. He received the Dean Jean Memorial Scholarship and a David Cameron Taylor, M.D. Memorial Summer Travel and Enrichment Scholarship from the Newcomb-Tulane College (NTC) Honors Program and Dean’s Office, respectively.