FELLOW PROFILE

Marc Carmichael
Graduate Student, Biomedical Engineering
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Rutgers University/University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
Piscataway, NJ

 

What is your current academic (or professional) affiliation (where do you work – go to school, etc.), and what is your current research area?
Rutgers University / University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) - Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS). Commonly written as Rutgers University / UMDNJ-GSBS. This is a joint program between UMDNJ and Rutgers. As a graduate student in the department of Biomedical Engineering, my research focuses on understanding the genetics of spinal cord injury. Currently, I am characterizing the spinal cord injury phenotype which involves investigating the role of the acute proliferative response near and distant from the lesion site in different inbred strains of mice. This, as well as other measurements of functional recovery, will be utilized to perform a genetic analysis of variation in injury phenotype and functional recovery after spinal cord injury.

Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Orange, NJ, and raised throughout central and northern NJ.

Where did you receive your undergraduate and graduate degrees?I received a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Rutgers University.

What was your favorite subject in grade school, middle school, high school? (Answer for all three academic levels: If it is the same, it doesn’t matter.)
I never had a favorite subject before I attended university. In college, Eastern Philosophy became my favorite subject.

Who was your favorite K-12 teacher, and why?
My favorite K-12 teacher was Mrs. Hulik, who first introduced me to classical music, which I still enjoy today.

What would you say is the MOST important characteristic of a great mentor?
The most important characteristic of a great mentor is honesty.

If you could choose one other career (something other than science) what would it be, and why?
If I could choose one other career other than science, I would like to be a lead singer and guitarist for a band.

If you could give ONE piece of advice to students younger than yourself who want to go into science, what would that be?
Remember that every destination has a path and every path has a destination. You are always on a path, and it is important to consistently re-evaluate whether your current path will lead you to your desired destination.

When you graduate, what do you regard as the MOST important contribution you can make to society?
There is no contribution that is MOST important. All we do--or don't do--contributes immensely to society, whether or not we are aware of our impact.

When you turn fifty years old, what do you MOST want to be able to say about your life?
That I served my purpose, and that the impact of my 50 years on the planet has made it a more desirable place, even if that improvement is infinitesimal.