By Jessie Rolph, Health Science Relations
For Becky Benson, a fourth-year student in the University of Iowa Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), harmony is everything.
Benson balances her studies and lab work by participating in Major Grooves, a student-led choir consisting of UI MSTP and UI Carver College of Medicine students.
" You learn that you’re more productive in your scientific endeavors if you also make time for the things you enjoy that are non-scientific," she said. "Those activities allow you to use a different part of your brain and develop a different part of your character and personality."
Being a well-rounded individual is important to the Pella, Iowa, native, who also plays ultimate Frisbee and participates in numerous church groups, including the Christian Medical Association.
In Major Grooves, she has been in charge of selecting music for the group of about 12, a role she will pass on to new leadership this fall. Depending on the event, songs range from ‘50s and ‘60s rock ‘n’ roll and folk songs to spirituals and madrigals. The majority of the songs are performed a cappella, but occasionally a student will provide piano accompaniment.
The choir — which includes All-State performers, those who majored in music and some who had no previous experience singing with a choir — rehearses once a week. Major Grooves performs several times per semester at churches, at the UI Hospital and Clinics for patients and staff, and at other UI events. This month, Major Grooves will sing at the UI Carver College of Medicine’s Deeded Body ceremony, an annual memorial service for the family and friends of those who have donated their bodies to science.
Benson, who sang in choirs in high school and during her undergraduate studies at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, joined Major Grooves during her first year at the UI in order to stay musically active.
Now, the group helps her to stay balanced and focused.
" Singing keeps us in contact with our human side," Benson said. "A lot of music is about passion and compassion, and I think singing on a regular basis really feeds that side of us. Plus, the music just sounds beautiful. It’s fun to be in the group and to just listen to the beautiful music that’s made — it’s very relaxing and refreshing."
While she still has another two or three years left in the MSTP, Benson is considering pursuing a career in pediatrics, as she enjoys working with children. Currently, Benson works in the lab of Gail Bishop, Ph.D., UI professor of microbiology and internal medicine, studying the balance between activation and inhibition of the immune system.
" Physiologically, immune cells must be carefully regulated. They must be activated in order to protect us from infections and cancer, but too much activation can lead to autoimmunity or malignancies of the immune system," Benson said. "This is a fascinating area of study because the interplay of signals that regulates harmony in the immune system is so important to our understanding of health and disease."
Benson’s experiences in the lab and in the MSTP program are helping her to prepare for a future career.
" One of the benefits of being in the MSTP is that it gives you lots of time to look at different areas and see how you would envision your career as a researcher and a doctor in those areas," Benson said.
No matter what path she chooses, Benson wants to continue having balance and harmony in her life.
" I hope I continue to be a well-rounded person who is able to participate in artistic and athletic endeavors as well as have a good career in science and medicine," she said.
In her free time, Benson enjoys spending time with her husband, running, and gardening.