Those who are familiar with comedian George Lopez already know a little bit about Levy Reyes’ family. For Reyes, third year Ph.D. candidate in the Integrated Biomedical Science Program, “whenever I get homesick I listen to Lopez, and it makes me laugh and reminisce about silly times in my family and childhood. I swear at times it’s as if he was watching my family and drawing from that in his commentary.”
Born and raised in Phoenix, Ariz. in a predominantly immigrant family — three of Reyes’ grandparents emigrated from Mexico — Reyes never thought Ohio State would be in his future. “Being a boy from the desert, the Ohio winters were quite the shock,” Reyes said. “With all the snow I had to find a way to pass the time, I quickly picked up snowboarding as a way to get through those cold winters!” he added. Reyes obtained his bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Arizona and is currently a third-year Ph.D. candidate in the Integrated Biomedical Science Program and a graduate research assistant for Dr. Jay L. Zweier at the Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute.
During the process of choosing a school, Reyes was drawn to Ohio State because of the financial aid provided and its unique program design, which trains students to be good scientists, but also allows them to have exposure to the clinical aspect of the disease they are researching, thus facilitating the translation of discoveries in the laboratory into treatments in the clinics. “Before I discovered the Integrated Biomedical Science program and its Translational Physiology track I was in a very frustrating position,” Reyes recalls. “I had this tremendous interest for research; however, I felt that the part I was initially exposed to was removed from making an immediate impact on human healthcare. I found the treatments for diseases extremely fascinating but I did not have the calling which drives many into medicine; thus when I found the OSU program it was as if someone had created the exact thing that I wanted to do.”
Reyes’ research is focused on ischemia/reperfusion injury — a phenomenon that occurs after someone experiences a heart attack. Coronary bypass surgery or angioplasty was developed to restore the lost blood flow resulting from a heart attack. However, upon restoration, it is possible for there to be a burst of free radicals that can severely damage the heart tissue. This damage is known as ischemia/reperfusion injury and limits the benefits of current surgical intervention. Specifically, Reyes’ studies aim to eliminate or correct the damage that oxygen radicals cause in ischemia/reperfusion injury and improve the prognosis of patients experiencing heart attacks.
“There has been recent data to link Type-II diabetes to an increased risk of heart disease,” Reyes explains. “In this regard our research becomes especially important to the Latin@ community and their improved prognosis post–heart failure as a result of diabetes.”
The road to graduate school and to a program that perfectly matched his needs was not an easy one for Reyes. As an undergrad student, he was one point away from academic probation, with a GPA of 1.8, and just one semester from being kicked out of school. “No matter what your situation is in your high school or college, do not let it discourage you from attaining your ultimate goal, whether it be graduate school, medical school or law school,” Reyes advises. “Despite my poor initial performance in undergraduate, through persistence and help from others I am just a few years from realizing my dream, so if you are in a similar situation it does not mean your dream is unattainable, it just means it’s going to be challenging.” |
