Prestigious NIH biomedical research scholarship program leads Eastlake native, Case grad to Oxford
Stem cell investigator is one of only 11 scholars chosen in U.S. since 2001 for international program
September 13, 2004 | For more information: Laura M. Massie (216)-368-4442
 Paul Tesar conducted research on adult stem cells for three years while an undergraduate at Case Western Reserve University. Now the Eastlake, Ohio, native is studying embryonic stem cells at England’s University of Oxford as part of a prestigious scholarship program that has the promise to be as world-renowned as the Fulbright Scholarships.
Tesar, 23, who researched stem cell-based treatment approaches to various diseases before graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Case in 2003, is one of only 11 students nationwide selected since 2001 for the Oxford/National Institutes of Health Scholars in Biomedical Research Program. The NIH scholarship and its sister program at Cambridge University offer America’s top students the opportunity to study in NIH and international university labs to facilitate interdisciplinary advancements in biomedical research.
Case President Edward M. Hundert, M.D., says Tesar, a 1999 graduate of Mentor’s Lake Catholic High School, is a pioneer in a program that – in addition to inspiring young scientists to focus on possibly groundbreaking biomedical research – has the potential to promote international understanding in more profound ways than even the esteemed Fulbright, which was set up initially to promote educational exchange between future leaders of Britain and the U.S. It now links 130 countries.
“The Oxford/NIH scholarship is shaping up to be as prominent and important as the Fulbright,” Hundert said. “It provides a wonderful opportunity for America’s best and brightest to make a real difference by working on cutting edge research with the greatest scientific minds in the world. Like the Fulbright, this scholarship experience has diverse and often powerful impacts not only on the scholars themselves, but also on their colleagues, students, the nation and the world.
“Paul’s experiential learning at Case uniquely positioned him to become part of the next generation of biomedical researchers through this scholarship. I’m proud that he was chosen out of thousands of American student-scholars to build on his exceptional promise,” Hundert added.
While an undergraduate student at Case, Tesar worked on adult mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow side-by-side with Stephen E. Haynesworth, Case associate professor of biology and associate dean in the Case College of Arts and Sciences. Tesar is also an accomplished track athlete, captaining the Case men’s track team during the 2002-2003 season. He ran track and played varsity football at Lake Catholic, where he earned MVP honors in track his senior year. He also was voted “Most Likely to Succeed” by his senior class.
Biology has always been his first love, however.
“The knowledge and training I obtained from working in Dr. Haynesworth’s lab at Case led me to think about things in a wider perspective,” Tesar said. “I am fascinated with the body’s ability to repair itself through populations of stem cells, and so I felt that it would be important to study embryology and embryonic stem cells to aid in my understanding.”
He has completed the first of the three- to four-year program in England that will take him straight from a bachelor’s degree to a doctorate. Tesar has been working on federally approved lines of embryonic stem cells in mouse models. He is studying the origin and potential of the cells, particularly as treatments for diseases like Parkinson’s, muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis. However, President Bush, citing concerns about the use of fertilized human egg cells in research, sharply curtailed government support for the research in 2001.
“While it is beneficial to have at least some lines to work on, there is an extremely limited chance that those lines could ever be used in humans,” Tesar said. “There have been significant advancements in deriving embryonic stem cells, and I think these eventually need to be applied to the human system in order to obtain lines that are more likely suitable for human therapy.”
Tesar is exploring the therapeutic potential of embryonic stem cells, which are able to turn into any cell type in the body, from bone cells to heart cells. He hopes to contribute to the understanding of how to control and harness these cells’ capacity to restore injuries and rectify disorders.
“Some people find it very controversial, but I think that the potential for therapies is so great that it’s a worthwhile cause to jump into,” he said.
Tesar was heartened by Harvard University’s recent announcement that it plans to launch a new, multimillion-dollar center to grow and study human embryonic stem cells.
“Stem cells may one day be able to cure disorders of every tissue, and I feel it is vital for the U.S. to be at the forefront of this race to save lives,” he said, adding that he hopes to advance the field of cell-based tissue engineering in the future through the NIH program. “Harvard’s announcement – and the support of stem cell research by the Reagan family – are positive steps forward for the stem cell community and for medical research as a whole. There are many potential benefits to all forms of stem cell research. We can’t continue to play a ‘wait and see’ game.”
The NIH scholarship may be in its infancy, but Tesar, who hopes to have his own biomedical research lab some day, said this program has the potential to revolutionize the U.S. graduate education system in the sciences. He said he already has experienced firsthand the program’s ability to instill “a global scientific perspective” and build “long-term partnerships between labs in the hope of advancing sciences as a whole. In today’s world of science it is beneficial to use the expertise of other labs, institutes and countries to aid in the advancement of your own studies.”
About Case Western Reserve University
Case is among the nation's leading research institutions. Founded in 1826
and shaped by the unique merger of the Case Institute of Technology and Western
Reserve University, Case is distinguished by its strengths in education, research,
service, and experiential learning. Located in Cleveland, Case offers nationally
recognized programs in the Arts and Sciences, Dental Medicine, Engineering,
Law, Management, Medicine, Nursing, and Social Work. http://www.case.edu.
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