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Who is Kim Barrett? Switching Her Experiments From Chemistry to Physiology Kim was born in London, England. She is not really sure when her interest started, but as far back as she can remember she was interested in experiments and chemistry. As a seven-year old, she clearly remembers checking all of the science books out of the children’s section at her local library, then graduating to the adult science books. She also begged her parents mercilessly until they bought her a chemistry set for Christmas and then methodically worked through the 80-some experiments. Kim never really considered studying anything else except science. Teachers were an incredibly important influence in her life – especially her first chemistry teacher at high school, Elsa Cameron, who was also the headmistress, as well as the two teachers who taught her O-level and A-level (upper-level high school) chemistry, respectively – Ann Parkin and Gill Ellis. Her teachers were also critical in helping her shape her approach to university. By the time she was ready for college, she had expanded her horizons to include biological problems as well as chemical ones. College YearsKim decided to attend University College London in Bloomsbury, in the center of London. She loved London (still does) and was excited by the opportunity to study and live in its center compared with the suburban settings she’d grown up in. She was also attracted by a new course in Medicinal Chemistry, which combined her interests in chemistry and biology. However, Kim was the first in her extended family to attend college – both of her parents had left school at 14 during the Second World War. So she didn’t really know what to expect. However, when she got there, she found that she felt completely at home in the world of academia. She was impressed by the friendliness and dedication of several faculty. Very quickly Kim resolved that the life of a professor was the one for her. It took a little while, but eventually, having discovered that she was completely useless as a synthetic organic chemist (her original career goal), she moved completely to work on biological topics. She ended up selecting Dr. Fred Pearce as her undergraduate tutor. When it came time to decide where to go for her Ph.D., Kim decided to stay on at University College London in the lab of Dr. Pearce. He was another important influence who kept her on track when experiments didn’t always turn out right. Kim still was not really a physiologist by any means. She received her Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry, although its topic and approaches were really those of immunology. Coming to the USAfter finishing her Ph.D., Dr. Barrett began thinking about where to go for her postdoctoral training. Dr. Pearce encouraged her to expand her horizons and take a post-doc in the US. She thought about it and decided it would be in her best interests to get a “BTA” (been to America), since she eventually wanted to get an academic job in Britain. Up until that point Dr. Barrett had been quite a homebody, not even leaving her home town for college or graduate school, so this was a big decision for her to make. Dr. Barrett came to the US to do a post-doc at the NIH still working in the immunology field. But when her time in the US was almost over and it was time to return home, fate intervened on two fronts: she was dating someone she was loathe to leave at the time, and Margaret Thatcher was presiding over a systematic downsizing of universities in the UK, which meant that there were no real jobs back home for her to go back for. She was lucky to be contacted by Dr. Kiertisin Dharmsathaphorn, at the University of California, San Diego, who offered her a research faculty position in his lab. It was at that time that Dr. Barrett was given an opportunity to apply her immunological work to a physiological problem: working on interactions of immune cells with the transport functions of the intestinal epithelium. After that, she’s never looked back. Getting Her Own LabAfter a year or two working in that lab, Dr. Barrett was able to get her own NIH grant and was transferred to the regular faculty. Eventually she gained her own lab and research group. At that point she also had the chance to teach physiology to medical students, a responsibility that remains one of the highlights of her job today. Dr. Barrett is currently Professor of Medicine and Vice-Chair for Research in the Department of Medicine at UCSD School of Medicine. When she first decided on a career in academia shortly after arriving at college, Dr. Barrett liked the idea of both developing and sharing new knowledge. She thought it would result in making her life incredibly varied. She has not been disappointed. What she could not have known at the time was how much she would appreciate the fact that no two days are the same, and that she has considerable autonomy in her work. She also loves having the chance to contribute to the administration and direction of both her university, and national/international organizations like the APS. Finally, while Dr. Barrett is not medically trained, she has been fortunate to build her career in a clinical department where she is constantly challenged to make sure that the research she conducts is important and relevant to patients. Everyday LifeDr. Barrett’s job consists of overseeing the research in her lab (mostly a case of staying out of the way of her talented students and postdocs), writing and reviewing papers, and writing the grants she needs to keep everything going. She also teaches GI physiology to medical and graduate students and devotes considerable energies to committee work and other administrative tasks. In the coming academic year, she will be Chair of the Health Sciences Faculty, which will bring her right to the center of decision making for the School of Medicine. Dr. Barrett also spent a last year or so as the Interim Chief for her Division while a search for a permanent chief was underway. She was primarily responsible for academic affairs but learned a huge amount about the business side of running a clinical enterprise. Dr. Barrett has also been privileged to serve a number of national and international bodies, including the APS. For the APS, she recently completed a term on the Council and became Chair of the Publications Committee in 2005. Finally, she’s just completed a GI physiology textbook – she looks forward to seeing it in print soon! ResearchDr. Barrett’s lab works on the cells that line the intestine, known as epithelial cells. These cells are a critical interface between the body and the outside world and cover an immense surface area. They must simultaneously keep out harmful pathogens and toxins, while allowing the uptake of beneficial substances such as nutrients. The lab specifically studies how these cells can transport salt and water into and out of the intestine and the ways in which their barrier function is controlled. They are particularly interested in the interaction of epithelial cells with both harmful bacteria and beneficial commensal bacteria or probiotics that may protect the intestine from harm. They also know that the transport and barrier functions of the intestine are disturbed in specific disease states, such as diarrheal diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases, peptic ulcer disease, and cystic fibrosis. By understanding the basic mechanisms that control epithelial properties, Dr. Barrett hopes they might ultimately be able to identify targets that would be useful to develop new therapies for these conditions.
Away From Work
Dr. Barrett’s biggest form of relaxation is cooking, either just for her husband and herself or for groups of friends. They recently moved back into a house that they had been remodeling for a year, and part of the project included her dream kitchen – she just loves to cook in it. She also loves spending time with her family, although they are all rather far away and she can’t do as much of that as she’d like. She has two sisters, a brother, and six nieces and nephews, as well as a godson back in the UK. Her other interests include film (her tastes tend to the quirky and foreign), the theatre, and music from opera to rock. Finally, she loves to travel, whether it is for work or fun. Her husband and she made an amazing trip to Australia and New Zealand last year, and they’re having fun trying to decide where to go next. Advice for Undergraduate StudentsTake the time to explore graduate programs thoroughly and short-list a handful that involve faculty whose research excites you, in areas of the country you can see yourself living. Be sure to explore not only physiology programs, but interdisciplinary programs that include physiology faculty in which you might obtain a broader foundation. Take every opportunity to gain exposure to research.
Recent Publications
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