Creating Miracles in the Lab (5/20/2008)

USC College junior Noelle Stiles examines the tiny camera that may one day bring sight to those blinded by ailments such as macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. - Photo/Philip Channing

Grant gives undergraduates with vision, the chance to change the world.

The world's first implantable retinal prosthesis - a wee intraocular camera tinier than a Tic-Tac - has become Noelle Stiles' dedicated focus.

Each day, Stiles is eager to work on developing the device that when implanted directly into the eyes of those rendered blind by certain diseases can restore partial sight.

"I want to use fundamental science and technology to make a difference in people's lives," Stiles said while working in a lab at USC's Health Sciences campus. "It's hard not to have a real passion for this, frankly, given the people we're trying to help."

At 21, the USC College junior is amazingly well-versed on the subject of retinal prostheses. She has been assisting in the design of the breakthrough device since high school.

The biophysics major and neuroscience minor is conducting research with the USC team developing the first intraocular camera directly implantable in the eye. The interdisciplinary nature of the research gives Stiles an opportunity to work with professors from many related disciplines in USC's College and professional schools.

Stiles is working under the guidance of Armand R. Tanguay Jr., professor of electrical engineering, chemical engineering and materials science, and biomedical engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and a faculty member of the Neuroscience Graduate Program housed in the College.

"Noelle is pure enthusiasm," Tanguay said. "She's conducting Ph.D.-level research vital to the success of what we hope will become a crucial turning point for the blind. Noelle is so passionate about her research that last summer she often spent seven days a week in the lab. She is able to work independently in large part due to her Rose Hills Foundation fellowships."

Stiles is among 40 College undergraduates receiving research fellowships from the Rose Hills Foundation, a nonprofit organization aiding Southern California residents. In all, the foundation has donated $2.5 million to USC for undergraduate science and engineering research.

The foundation grant is benefiting many other professor-undergraduate research teams working on key projects promising to impact the world.

College junior Sonya Hanson and her mentor, Lin Chen, associate professor of biological sciences at the College, are pinpointing the cause of a muscle disease called myasthenia gravis.

In the fall of 2006, the foundation provided a $500,000 grant to cover the cost of a pilot program. The grant was renewed for four years earlier this year.

In terms of research, Stiles was ahead of the game. While still in high school, she was recruited by Tanguay to join his research group.

Tanguay hoped that the research exposure would encourage the young honor student to apply to USC. It worked. Stiles became so excited about the advanced research she was conducting at USC that she joined the Trojan Family.

To date, Stiles' portion of the research has been presented at seven international conferences. The undergrad recently won an Optical Society of America Student Presentation Award - an honor created to recognize exceptional research of graduate students. Of 140 nominees, 16 won awards. She was the sole undergraduate.

Back at the University Park campus, Hanson and Chen were busy discussing their findings for their research on myasthenia gravis. Characterized by muscle weakness, the disease affects about 100,000 Americans a year and can be deadly.

The most common symptom is droopy eyelids, but the disease can progress to more severe limb weakness and respiratory distress, which can be fatal.

"When you think that what you're doing may help people who are suffering, it's very motivating," Hanson said inside Chen's lab at Ray R. Irani Hall. "I'm very lucky to be able to work in the Chen lab on a project that could have a major impact on both human knowledge and human life."

Hanson's Rose Hills Fellowship enabled her to spend the entire summer of 2007 in Chen's lab. She continued the same research in the fall and spring with the help of USC Women in Science and Engineering grants.

"We get many undergraduate students knocking on our door to work with us," Chen said. "And Sonya has been a shining star. She's not walking around the lab, seeing what's happening. She's an integral part of the research component."

Hanson, 20, a biophysics major and screenwriting minor, said her research in Chen's lab has been an invaluable personal and scholastic experience.

"My relationship with science has changed drastically," Hanson said. "With my increased exposure to the process of science, I've stopped being intimidated by even the most complex phenomena. I'm convinced that if someone once took the time and energy to figure it out, the least I can do is learn about it - and maybe, eventually find out something completely new and contribute to the advancement of science."

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by the University of Southern California

Post Comments: