TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — In just under two months time, thousands of proud Arizona Wildcats will walk across the stage to receive diplomas and degrees in dozens of different fields.
Some of them will launch into the next stage of life in the workplace or graduate school. One future doctor is excited to head to his family's homeland where his mission in medicine is close to his heart.
"These are breast cancer cells..."
Bryce Wilson has put in a lot of work inside of this lab at the University of Arizona's Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology but his focus hasn't been breast cancer.
It's not even cancer per se, but studying the cells will help him get to the bottom of a number of diseases.
"Really understanding at a fundamental level how do all of these moving components in biology come together like, how a cell works and how a body works," Bryce told me.
That understanding will now grow across the pond as Bryce receives the prestigious Churchill Scholarship at Cambridge University.
Only 18 scholars are chosen each year but if you ask his professor, Bryce is unlike any other undergrad.
"Bryce is kind of a one of a kind student."
Dr. Andrew Paek knows the value of hard work in the research process and told me Bryce just gets it.
"The idea is to kind of train them. Give them a chance to do some science and some of them just take to it quickly like Bryce did and just have a phenomenal time," Paek said.
Yes, Bryce enjoys himself, but he isn't driven because mitochondrial dysfunction and activity of neural stem cells is a good time.
He's focused on finding a cure to neurodegenerative diseases like dementia, Parkinson's and ALS.
His father was born and raised in England but being closer to family later this year won't be for a simple vacation.
"My grandmother in England was actually somewhat recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's and kind of dealing with that has led to a stronger motivation to go into that kind of work," Bryce said.
That kind of work as a medical doctor or researcher or both, like Bryce hopes to be, takes countless hours in the lab; something that takes funding.
Those dollars actually multiply from the initial investment if you ask Dr. Paek.
"It's kind of this positive feedback loop. And if you slow that positive feedback loop down by decreasing funding, it can have huge implications, not in the immediate future, but in the long term," Paek said.
In the long term, Bryce just may discover cures for common diseases as a physician scientist.
Short term?
He'll take the trip of a lifetime.
"The science is getting better and better every day," Bryce said.
And that science will ultimately help patients like his grandmother get better in the process.
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Dan Spindle co-anchors Good Morning Tucson on KGUN 9 and is an award-winning storyteller whose work has earned him honors from the Rocky Mountain Southwest Emmys, the Associated Press and the Utah Society of Professional Journalists for both anchoring and reporting. Dan is passionate about history and loves to explore the Grand Canyon State. Share your story ideas with Dan by emailing dan.spindle@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, or X.
