Pedro Marra, current undergraduate student assistant in the Shinozaki Lab:

Dr. Shinozaki’s lab is special because of his trust in the lab members. As an undergraduate, I would never have imagined how much of a role I would have in a research lab. One of my goals coming to the University of Iowa was to join a research lab and, if possible, be listed as a co-author in a paper. I have already been listed as a co-author in four papers, one being a first co-author! I hope to write many more papers when I become a physician, so I am really glad to have Dr. Shinozaki as my mentor since he has taught me so much about the research process.

What amazed me upon joining the lab is how accessible Dr. Shinozaki is to the lab members. Any time I have a question, I only needed to knock on his office’s door and he answers it promptly. Dr. Shinozaki also encourages me to be more critical and to better understand the research conducted in the lab during our weekly lab meetings.

I’m certain that Dr. Shinozaki and his lab will continue to be as successful as they have been and continue to teach many other students like myself!

Kaitlyn Crutchley, former undergraduate student assistant in the Shinozaki Lab:

Going into my undergraduate years I knew I wanted to get involved in research, but I had no idea the significant impact this experience would have on me. When searching for a lab to join, the Shinozaki Lab stood out to me for many reasons. In addition to traditional lab-based research experience, it offered opportunities for patient interaction within clinical studies. Also, Dr. Shinozaki had a large team of people from undergrads to established professionals that I was hopeful to work alongside. Dr. Shinozaki welcomed me onto his talented team as a sophomore, and over the years he has presented me with every opportunity to become the best future physician. Through the lab, I have gained experience with patient enrollment, complex data analysis, training colleagues, and the publication process. With the help of Dr. Shinozaki and his team, I have already published four peer reviewed papers as an undergraduate, and I have more in progress! I will also have the honor of presenting our work at the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Conference this fall. Dr. Shinozaki has been a mentor and role-model for me over the years. He has invested his time to train me, trusted me to work independently, and provided me with much guidance along my path to becoming a physician. It has been extremely evident to me that he cares not only about my work in the lab, but also my personal development towards future aspirations. With this invaluable experience and mentorship from Dr. Shinozaki, I was fortunate enough to be accepted into medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center! I am excited to apply the skills I have developed in the Shinozaki Lab in my future career as a psychiatrist.

Hailey Long, former undergraduate student assistant in the Shinozaki Lab:

"My final semester at the University of Iowa was undoubtedly the best, largely because of my partaking in being a member of the Shinozaki lab. It truly was a pleasure and has helped me grow both personally and professionally. I currently am seeking another research assistant position in association with Cleveland Clinic that would not be possible without the experience I obtained on your clinical team."

"Thank you so much for your interest in me as an undergraduate research assistant and I wish nothing but success for your team in the years to come!"

Sophia Daniel, former undergraduate student assistant in the Shinozaki Lab:

"Hello Dr. Shinozaki,

I just wanted to thank you for taking me on in your lab nearly a year ago. I've sincerely enjoyed my time there and have walked away with clinical skills that will be invaluable in my career as a Physician Assistant. I truly appreciate how you constantly encouraged everyone to be involved and for the opportunity to contribute to the BDNF paper (I've never been published so I really appreciate it!). Being a transfer student and commuter made my last year especially tough but coming in to do follows-ups served as constant reminder of my main goal and what I'm passionate about. Seeing the passion you have in exploring an area of research that few have contributed to and making such progress was inspiring. I'm incredibly excited to read about the success you all will have in your ongoing and future projects.

 Thank you"

Jonathan Heinzman, a former medical student assistant, currently a psychiatry resident at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics:

“I started working in Dr. Shinozaki's lab pretty early in my first year of medical school. I began helping with the EEG delirium project. This was a particularly valuable experience as I gained experience interviewing patients in the hospital and learning how to conduct mental status exams, which was an exciting opportunity as a first year medical student! I also started learning systems biology analysis of genome-wide data to investigate the genetics of depression. Although it was a complex task, with Dr. Shinozaki's mentorship, I was able to publish a first-author manuscript, and co-author a few more papers. Most importantly, I matched here in the Iowa Psychiatry Residency program with the help of Dr. Shinozaki's mentorship! Both myself and my wife, who is also medical student here, are very happy!"

Charlotte Wimmel, former lab member, currently a neuroscience nurse at Northwestern Memorial Hospital:

"I had a great experience working in Dr. Shinozaki's lab. Working with him and other colleagues in the lab was a valuable way to begin my professional development at a very early stage in my future career. I was warmly welcomed into the lab and thoroughly taught about our many different projects. As I progressed, I learned valuable skills and lessons that I am able to apply in my career as a neuroscience nurse at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The work I performed as part of Dr. Shinozaki’s team in researching the epigenetics of delirium with bispectral encephalography is directly applicable to the work I currently perform on a daily basis at Northwestern. The experience has made me more cognizant of conditions such as delirium and has improved my skill set as a nurse. I am thankful for the opportunity I had working with Dr. Shinozaki personally as well as meeting wonderful people and gaining a unique learning experience. I will continue to utilize the knowledge and interpersonal skills I gained as my career progresses. My next step is returning to school to become a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner to continue the important work of helping this underserved patient population."

Timothy Ando, a former medical student assistant, currently a psychiatry resident at Stanford University:

"I started working with Dr. Shinozaki during my medical school, soon after I decided that I was going into Psychiatry. From the beginning of working with him, Dr. Shinozaki guided me well, and trusted me to think autonomously and work independently to help improve our exciting research projects. I had the opportunity to mentor numerous talented undergraduates and junior medical students who joined the lab after me to help with the research project. Lastly, Dr. Shinozaki gave me invaluable mentorship, always making himself available as a resource to help me in my own career. With his guidance and through this valuable experience, I was able to match into a residency program that I couldn't be happier with. Thank you Dr. Shinozaki!"