by Laura Richardson, '08
At Whitworth, Nathan Palpant, '01, applied himself to two rather different areas of study: biology and music. While he no longer plays the trumpet, as he did in college, Palpant says his appreciation for artistry contributes significantly to the creative processes he engages in every day in his biomedical research. Palpant's early research focused on how adult stem cells could be useful in repairing injured hearts. In recent years, his study has transitioned to a project that uses gene-therapy techniques to explore the protection of cardiac function during severe stresses such as heart attacks.
Palpant is currently working toward his Ph.D. in molecular and integrative physiology at the University of Michigan Medical School. He equates surviving a doctoral program with running a marathon. "It takes a tremendous amount of determination that is grounded in a passion for what I do," he says. "My interest in science and biomedical research has given me the motivation to continue my work despite its difficulty."
While many experiments don't work, and the research can be a slow and, at times, tedious process, Palpant says the end result is more than worth the effort. "It is continually humbling to me that every day when I go to the lab, I am being given the opportunity to discover the world that God has created in ways that no one has ever known before," Palpant says. "I pray that the use of my gifts in this area will foremost honor God and, second, be an act of service to my neighbor just as Jesus commands in Matthew 22:37."
After he finishes his doctorate, it's likely that Palpant will pursue a fellowship in another lab to gain additional research experience. In terms of his long-term professional goals, he remains open to working in various scientific fields. Regardless of his future endeavors, Palpant says he appreciates the foundational life principles he learned at Whitworth, which he puts to use daily in his work as a biomedical research scientist.
Palpant says he is grateful for the ways in which Whitworth allowed him to expand his leadership skills and develop as a person. "The personal investment of so many faculty members in my life was important for me in more ways than I can articulate," Palpant says. "What I came away with from my ‘mind and heart' education at Whitworth was substantive and meaningful and lasting."
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