August 30, 2006
Mackler uses Steinbrecher Fellowship to conduct tissue engineering research at Clark
Worcester, Mass. - Harrison E. Mackler of Longmeadow, Mass., and nine other Clark University undergraduates have been pursuing independent scholarly and creative projects and will continue to do so during the upcoming academic year with support from the Anton and Steinbrecher Fellowship Program.
Mackler spent his summer at Clark conducting tissue engineering research. His project, which he plans to use for his senior honors thesis in biology, is aimed at evaluating the biocompatibility of a bone scaffold material that will support the transformation of stem cells into bone cells that can potentially be used as a replacement for traditional bone grafts.
Harrison, an aspiring dentist, is excited about the possibility that his research could provide a new source of bone generation for people who lose bone from trauma or illnesses such as osteoporosis, arthritis and cancer. His Steinbrecher Fellowship provided funding for him to purchase cells and tissue culture reagents for use in the Clark Biology Lab.
Mackler got the idea for his research project after Clark's London Internship Program matched him with Dr. Lucy Di Silvio of the Department of Biomaterials and Biomimetics at King's College London Dental School this spring. In Di Silvio's lab, he worked alongside Ph.D. students and became involved in research aimed at developing alternatives to traditional bone grafts. There he observed how alternative bone graft research might be applied in a dental context. Because Dr. Di Silvio's lab was in a hospital, he spent time observing real dental procedures.
"I went to a cleft palate clinic, where I could see the problems that occur when the mouth does not form correctly during development in the womb," said Mackler. "Those were the real-life applications of bone grafts."
At the end of the spring internship, Dr. Di Silvio helped him design a program of research that he could continue at Clark under the mentorship of his faculty advisor, Dr. Timothy Lyerla.
This summer, Mackler was awarded one of Clark's first Steinbrecher Fellowships to support his research. He is also being recognized with this year's M. Margaret Comer Memorial Award for Undergraduate Research in the Biological Sciences.
Mackler did have some help this summer. He was surrounded by 20 high school students who spent three weeks on campus as part of Clark's Summer Science Program. Mackler served as a resident advisor for the group. He was also a mentor and inspiration to the high school students. Four years ago, it was he who participated in that program as a high school student. It was one of his first experiences at Clark, and it eventually led him to enroll at the University.
Now beginning his senior year, Mackler believes a career in dentistry will satisfy his need to be of service to others.
"I've always been interested both in science and in helping people through community service," he said. "Dentistry combines the two for me and bridges the gap between these two career paths. Practicing dentistry will allow me to interact with people directly and create long-term relationships, while still benefiting my own patients and healthcare."
Mackler is the son of Phillip and Dairne Mackler of Longmeadow. He is a member of Class of 2007 at Clark. He is a 2003 graduate of Longmeadow High School.
More information about Mackler's research project, and his online diaries, are available at: Mackler diary.
This is the first year of the Steinbrecher Fellowship Program, which was created by Phyllis and Stephen '55 Steinbrecher in memory of their son David C. Steinbrecher '81. The Steinbrecher Fellowships are modeled on the Anton Fellowship Program, which was established six years ago by a gift from Barbara '56 and Thomas '56 Anton. Both of these Fellowships are designed to spark students' excitement about the pursuit of intellectual ideas and public service and to stimulate discussions within the Clark community. The Anton and Steinbrecher Fellowship Program is directed by Professor Sharon Krefetz, a faculty member in the Government Department and former Dean of the College at Clark.