| Name: | Luther Swift | |
| Job Title: | Research Technician | |
| Place of work: | Texas Tech Health Sciences Center - Physiology Department | |
TQ
team: What motivated you to pursue research
in cardiac physiology?
Dr. Swift: Well, actually it was a little more general than that. I first pursued a field in science just because I feel like the work from day to day changes. By definition there are always advances, things are constantly changing. You are always being challenged by the next thing. I suppose cardiac physiology is a reflection of that, it's also constantly changing, there is always something interesting, something new all the time.
TQ team: What college did you attend, and what was your major?
Dr. Swift: I went to Southwestern University, in Georgetown. I majored in Biology. I was inspired by a biologist by the name of Dr. Vincent Via who was a very outgoing professor, he was very excited about what he did. I remember that I did very well on the very first test I took. After that I felt like that was what I could do. Interestingly enough I didn't do well on later tests (chuckles), but that was something that I really enjoyed.
TQ team: What part of your job do you most enjoy, what part is most interesting for you?
Dr. Swift: Lets see, my favorite part about my job.. I think my favorite part is anytime an experiment goes correctly and I get good results, I get the results I'm looking for. It happens so often that you do an experiment and something goes wrong. So many small little things that can go wrong. But anytime we get the good ones that makes all the rest of them worthwhile.
TQ team: What do you think is the most interesting or surprising research that you have done so far?
Dr. Swift: Actually, the fact that we isolate cardiomyocytes on a weekly basis is still amazing to me. When you look under the microscope and you there are living cells that are contracting in front of you, it is an amazing thing to see. Most of the experiments we do are on a sub-cellular level so you really can't see what is happening. It's just that under the microscope you can really see the cardiomyocytes, what you start with. It's amazing.
TQ team: What kind of advice would you give to someone who is pursuing a career in cardiac physiology?
Dr. Swift: I would advise that you focus on not just cardiac physiology but on all aspects of science. I'm a little disappointed that my background in Physics and Statistics and some of Chemistry is not as strong as I wish it was. If you are strong in those fields it will by nature make you a much stronger scientists all the way around and a better researcher.
TQ team: So, a strong foundation in High School...
Dr. Swift: In everything. I mean, you start from the very beginning. Without a strong foundations in one you can't build your next level, if you consider cardiac physiology the zenith.
TQ team: Since you are at an early stage in your career, what do you think are your career goals, what do you wish to accomplish?
Dr. Swift: My goals... I strive to discover something which has not been discovered. To be first to find something.
TQ team: And one last question. What is your favorite movie?
Dr. Swift: I would say my favorite movie would have to be Chariots of Fire. You've seen it?
TQ team: It's about the runner right?
Dr. Swift:
Yep. It's old. My favorite quote from that movie is "God made me for
a purpose, but he also made me fast." Which, I like the fact that each
of us has our own niche in life and we should strive to fulfill that.
