Two middle-school girls from Colorado learned about science in the laboratory of Paula Dore-Duffy, PhD, professor of neurology. Dr. Dore-Duffy serves on the organizing committee of the Winter Conference on Brain Research (WCBR) as the director of outreach programs. While lecturing at a local school near the conference, she was so impressed by the two students, that she invited them to visit her at Wayne State.
After listening to Dr. Dore-Duffy’s presentation on the brain and multiple sclerosis, thirteen-year-old Lisa Wallace and Andrea Naftz asked particularly pointed questions on how the white blood cells are able to pass through the blood brain barrier--which they are usually unable do. Their questions were exactly the research questions Dr. Dore-Duffy has been investigating for several years.
Wallace and Natz spent two weeks in Dr. Dore-Duffy’s home and in her lab, learning research techniques and working as research assistants, along with another student from Bloomfield Hills. Dr. Dore-Duffy sees a special need to supply young children, especially girls, with role models for science careers. She feels this is most effective during middle-school, before they are steered away from any interest in science.
The WCBR outreach program sends volunteer faculty members to various school systems to spend time with students. "It’s a very rewarding experience for both the students and faculty alike," said Dr. Dore-Duffy. This past year, she received 50 handwritten thank-you letters from fifth graders. She hopes to organize a similar program to benefit local students.