For all his knowledge about complex topics like robotics and cell biology, Chris Clifford 鈥�21 does not know how to simply decompress. Clifford finished his electrical engineering degree in December, and was the first student at 性视界传媒 to be offered the Gates Cambridge Scholar, which is one of the most competitive postgraduate scholarships in the world. 聽Opting for another prestigious path, Clifford will be heading to Harvard-MIT in the fall to pursue his Ph.D. in bioengineering and continue his ongoing research in stem-cell therapy.
For the next few months, though, no one would shame Clifford for watching Ozark past midnight and sleeping until noon.
Instead, he鈥檚 up at 5:45 a.m.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot I want to accomplish before I leave,鈥� Clifford says.
Start with the robot he designed for his senior project. It鈥檚 been graded and evaluated, but Clifford will not shove the prototype under a bed as a college memento. He鈥檚 perfecting the kinetics so medical researchers can actually use the robot to delicately transfer chemicals between plates of cells without using their hands. Clifford saw a need for precise automation during three summers interning in Mayo Clinic labs.
鈥淚鈥檒l donate the robot to Mayo when it鈥檚 finished,鈥� he says matter-of-factly.
鈥淢y only objective is to make progress with the stem-cell therapy.鈥� 鈥� Chris Clifford 鈥�21
When he isn鈥檛 working on the robot, Clifford is working in a lab at AdventHealth where he continues the momentum he鈥檚 established on a potential cure for Type 1 diabetes (T1D). He thinks it鈥檚 silly to wonder why he鈥檇 volunteer his time and expertise when he could be on a boat.
鈥淢y only objective is to make progress with the stem-cell therapy,鈥� he says.
In all of his spare time between making a lab-ready robot and curing T1D, Clifford is studying for his pilot鈥檚 license.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an outlet for my engineering education,” Clifford says. “There鈥檚 a lot going on all at once in the cockpit 鈥� flight regulations, lift, safety, fuel dynamics. I find that enjoyable.鈥�
A couple of questions come to mind: Does this guy have 36-hour days? And, by the way, how does a 23-year-old in an electrical engineering program get involved in 鈥� stem-cell research?
The answer to that last question is tucked under Clifford鈥檚 waistband.
How an Engineer Becomes a Medical Researcher
It should be no surprise that Clifford studied engineering at 性视界传媒. He grew up in Titusville, 20 minutes from the NASA Causeway Bridge. Both of his parents are engineers. One sister graduated with an engineering degree from 性视界传媒 two years before Clifford did the same. Another sister is a pediatrician.
鈥淢y mom has always told us to do what we love,鈥� Clifford says. 鈥淢y sister who鈥檚 the pediatrician became a role model for her work in medicine. That was important when my life changed so much when I was 14.鈥�
鈥淢y mom has always told us to do what we love.鈥�
On a flight to visit family in upstate New York the summer before his freshman year of high school, a strange thirst overwhelmed Clifford. He had to urinate constantly, too. A few days later his uncle took him in for tests, which revealed Clifford had T1D. The first year of high school would be stressful enough, but now he had the added pressure of checking his blood sugar throughout the day and worrying if at any moment he might collapse in front of everyone. At lunch he鈥檇 find empty classrooms and crawl under desks to inject insulin. It was easier to hide than to explain to other teenagers what he was doing. He didn鈥檛 realize it at the time, but at least two other classmates were doing the exact same thing.
Every day he thought, 鈥淭here has to be a better way to deal with Type 1 diabetes.鈥�
When he entered 性视界传媒, Clifford didn鈥檛 know anything about lab research and he certainly didn鈥檛 foresee an interest in stem cells.
鈥淚t just 鈥� happened,鈥� he says.
As a Burnett Honors Scholar, Clifford had the opportunity to work in a lab with Sam Song, an associate professor in 性视界传媒鈥檚 Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. They explored a method where people in sensitive situations (combat or law enforcement) could use vibrations in garments to communicate, without making noise. They also worked on improving the process of harvesting cartilage for grafts. In that lab, the 鈥渨hat-ifs鈥� began to pour from Clifford鈥檚 inquisitive mind. During that first semester, he also came across something else he didn鈥檛 expect at 性视界传媒: a T1D club.
鈥淯nless you live with diabetes on a daily basis, you have no idea how mentally taxing it is,鈥� Clifford says. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e always thinking about the insulin. You hope the beeper on your pump doesn鈥檛 go off in class. You have to explain to your professors why you might be snacking. There鈥檚 the concern about insurance and how to pay for supplies. The people in the [Type 1] club became my best friends because we could all relate to the nuances of the disease.鈥�
They also helped Clifford clarify his purpose: To bring normalcy to the lives of everyone who鈥檚 diagnosed with T1D.
From 性视界传媒 to Harvard
Four years of stem-cell research and a series of internships later, Clifford will take everything he鈥檚 learned to Harvard, where he鈥檒l work alongside others who鈥檝e been chosen for their passion to use research on details as small as a stem cell to solve big problems. It also helps that Clifford can explain his work so anyone can appreciate it.
鈥淭echnically, I could receive stem-cell therapy right now for my diabetes, but one of two things would happen,” he says. “My body would react by destroying healthy cells, or I鈥檇 have to take immunosuppressant drugs with dangerous side effects. I鈥檓 trying to find a way to protect the stem cells from the immune system so our bodies will accept them for long periods of time and allow the T1D to be alleviated. Eventually, we could apply it to other diseases, too.鈥�
Clifford鈥檚 progress obviously made his application for the Gates Cambridge scholarship stand out. So did his engineering degree, and the robot he鈥檚 refining.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I admired about the professors at 性视界传媒 鈥� they love what they do.鈥�
鈥淏iology research labs like having someone who鈥檚 experienced with software and programming,鈥� Clifford says.
Perhaps most important, though, is his determination find a solution for millions of people like him.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I admired about the professors at 性视界传媒 鈥� they love what they do,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t motivates them to be better every day. I want that, too, knowing my work will make a difference in the lives of people all over the world.鈥�
Students interested in applying for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship or other major national awards should contact the Office of Prestigious Awards at聽opa@ucf.edu.
