Dr. Kimberly Hobbs shares knowledge and research of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) affecting the Black Community.
(HUNTSVILLE, AL) – – Being on a path to purpose seems like an endless journey. Some don’t find the strength to keepgoing but somewhere along my journey, I found a renewed faith that come what may, I wouldfinish my doctoral degree. That source of strength didn’t come without adversity. I faced thekind of hurt and adversity that would make some want to simply just give up and walk away.
On February 12, 2010, I lost one of the greatest mentors and advisors that a student could know. That mentor was Dr. Adriel D. Johnson Sr. It was a tragedy that no one should have to face yet I found myself as an indirect victim of a school shooting. I had been pursuing my degree for nearly three years in his laboratory and he had been my mentor since I was an undergraduate.
All of a sudden, he was gone and I had to decide what I was going to do next. When faced with adversity, what do you do? Well I set out to change labs, start all over, and complete my PhD.
In my mind, I was going to do it for Dr. Johnson but somewhere along the way, that just wasn’t enough. I had to complete this journey for myself. My passion for education and spreading knowledge was strengthened. I know that I am here today to serve and to pass on to others what was passed on to me. I had to push through the self-doubt, the lack of motivation, the stress and I had to see myself walking across the stage.
On May 6, 2018, my day finally came and I could finally join the ranks of other smart intelligent people of color in academia. I obtained my doctoral degree in Biotechnology Science and Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. I am a scientist, just simply someone who loves to learn and explore the unknowns.
Now that I have shared a little of my journey, lets talk science. I completed my dissertation research at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in the laboratory of Dr. Devin Absher.
My research focused on the genetic aspects of cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly looking at a family of genes known as cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor genes. The science behind studying such common yet very complex diseases like CVD is very important and I want to take this time to share with you a little information about why research in this area is important. Heart disease affects over 85 million individuals in the United States and is the number one cause of death for both men and women (Go et al. 2014). Heart disease is a disease of the heart and blood vessels and covers a variety of conditions including heart valve problems, hypertension, arrhythmias, coronary artery disease, coronary heart disease, and stroke.
So what exactly is a myocardial infarction or in layman terms what is a heart attack? Myocardial infarctions are events where oxygen is completely blocked to the myocardial tissues of the heart.
The affected heart tissue ultimately dies as a result of the oxygen deprivation. Myocardial tissue is unable to regenerate itself thus scar tissue forms around the dead heart tissue. Various events occur within the blood vessels that lead to oxygen depletion in the myocardium tissues.
Individuals who have suffered a heart attack typically have a secondary medical issue known as atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a condition where excess cholesterol in the blood begins to deposit within the arteries. These cholesterol deposits cause excessive narrowing of the arterial passageway for blood. Over time, the consistent buildup within the artery blocks blood flow to the heart, ultimately leading to a heart attack. The severity of the heart attack is dependent upon how many arteries are blocked. In the event of multiple blocked arteries, this leads to a larger portion of the heart tissue without oxygen. There are several risk factors that are primary contributors to cardiovascular disease including cigarette smoking, hypertension, diabetes, low levels of high-density lipoprotein, and high levels of both low-density lipoprotein and very high low lipoprotein.
The atherosclerotic process is a risk factor for heart disease because the process of blockage can begin years before an actual heart attack occurs. The adaptation that the arteries have undergone to continue to push blood throughout he body through those narrow arteries puts additional pressure on the heart.Not only does CVD yield a tremendous health burden for individuals but also the economic burden for health care cost for cardiovascular disease is rapidly growing. In 2010, estimated costs at over $444 billion were spent for cardiovascular disease (CDC, 2011).
The invasive treatment and care for cardiovascular disease patients include long-term drug therapy, heart valve surgery, pacemakers, and coronary artery bypass surgery. The substantial numbers of individuals with CVD in addition to the costly procedures for treatment all offer strong support for research for heart disease. Any scientific advances we can make toward understanding the mechanism behind how the disease progresses would be beneficial to the field. With my research, we studied the disease through both genetic and epigenetic approaches.
Genetic approaches in research help to identify changes in particular genes involved with the disease and often refer to heritable changes. Epigenetic approaches offer a different perspective by looking at non-heritable alterations to the genes. If individuals have usable genetic information that identifies susceptibility risks for them, they may be more prone to live healthier lifestyles. This has the potential to lower the number of individuals who develop cardiovascular disease.
My overall goal with my work was to provide knowledge that bridges the gap between the actual pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease and the genetic mechanisms that drive its progression.
I hope you have gained a little insight about my personal PhD journey, my research, and my journey ahead to give back. As a health literacy advocate, I think it very important for the population to be more knowledgeable about such common conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and stoke, just to name a few. I believe this is a necessary part of the health journey for individuals.
In closing, I leave you with some words of encouragement, let nothing stop you and always keep moving forward! References Go, A. et al (2014). Heart disease and stroke statistics–2014 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation (Vol. 129, pp. e28–e292). Centers for Disease Control (2011) Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention: Addressing the Nation’s Leading Killers