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Path, Lab Medicine researcher finds niche 

by Michael Baker
Public Relations
When Carlton Donald, Ph.D., came to MUSC barely 18 months ago, his arrival marked the beginning of a symbiotic relationship. He represented a valuable addition to the university, and working at MUSC allowed him to pursue an area of research in which he was intensely interested.

It was an opportunity that both sides almost missed.

Dr. Carlton Donald

Upon the completion of two fellowships at Emory University, Donald searched for faculty positions at medical universities across the nation. He completed his interviews, received many offers, and never considered working at MUSC.

However, a conversation with an MUSC graduate student persuaded Donald to explore his options. He spoke with Janice Lage, M.D., chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, to learn more about what the university had to offer. 

“After meeting Janice and seeing the university, I was impressed with a number of things about MUSC,” Donald said. “The university had excellent resources for research, and the faculty seemed genuinely concerned with progressing in the right direction.” 

After careful deliberation, he chose to come to Charleston.

Donald’s work at MUSC focuses on the early detection and treatment of prostate cancer. Although he remains confident in medicine’s ability to fight the illness, he isn’t satisfied with current screening methods.

“Prostate cancer generally is thought of as being extremely curable if diagnosed early,” he explained. “Unfortunately, the current screening methods are not the best for early detection.”

Donald’s goal is to understand the molecular biology of prostate cancer and to identify a good early detection marker for the disease.

“I’m looking for some unique genetic change, something that occurs early on and foreshadows the development of prostate cancer,” he said, “as opposed to the current screening tests, which determine if you already have it.”

As an example of the current testing methods, he referenced the digital rectal exam, in which a doctor manually checks the prostate for extraneous nodules or abnormalities. 

“If a doctor feels something cancerous—a nodule, for example—on the prostate,” he explained, “the patient may already have had prostate cancer for quite some time.” Thus, he feels the need for a better genetic marker, leading to better tests that detect prostate cancer much earlier.

“Without getting too far into semantics,” he added, “I wonder if the available screening tests are really methods of ‘early detection’ or just ‘detection?’  In my opinion, a true early detection marker would catch prostate cancer in its pre-malignant form.”

In the absence of a genetic marker, Donald focused on treating prostate cancer. Specifically, he strives to find a therapeutic marker that would allow doctors to develop a method of destroying cancerous cells in a patient while saving normal tissue. 

Donald’s research could be particularly helpful to the African-American population, which experiences a notable disparity compared to other demographics, in terms of prostate cancer’s severity.

“Prostate cancer is pervasive in South Carolina,” he said, “but it’s even more prominent among African-Americans in the state. The incidence and mortality rate are much higher than in other groups.”

Donald’s social consciousness extends to the academic community as well. During the interview process and his initial work at MUSC, he spoke with Perry Halushka, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the College of Graduate Studies. The conversation turned to their mutual interest in increasing minority enrollment. 

“We were both aware of the need to recruit the top students to MUSC,” Donald said. With that in mind, he volunteered to represent the university at the 2002 National Black Graduate Student Association Conference.

As a conference panelist, Donald talked to students about his experiences in undergraduate and graduate studies and as a new professor.

“It was a wonderful opportunity for two reasons,” he recalls. “First, I had the chance to recruit some very bright students, but I also served as a witness to what a career in biomedicine is really like.”

Being selected to represent MUSC after only seven months at the university didn’t seem to surprise Donald, and he credits the faculty and administration at MUSC for reinforcing his confidence.

“The support I’ve received has been outstanding,” he said.

Happenstance brought Donald to MUSC, but design—both his and the university’s—fostered a mutually beneficial environment.
 
 

Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.