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BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY ALUMNUS GIVES BACK TO STUDENTS
hen entering an operating room, it gives the impression of a tense environment. Guests flood the hallways and waiting rooms, doctors tend to their patients, phones ring and chairs squeak. What sounds like chaos is a normal day in the office for an ordinary man. Dr. James Stuart Jackson, anesthesiologist at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, views his life to be ordinary, he said, and yet his everyday actions are extraordinary to some. Working hard and sacrificing time with his loved ones has allowed him to give back to his alma mater, Oklahoma State University, he added.
Originally from Stillwater, Oklahoma, Jackson always wanted to attend OSU and had a passion for science since he was a young child, he said. After graduating from OSU in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology, he attended the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, he said. During his time at OU, Jackson said he found his interest in anesthesiology. Upon graduation in 1987, he moved to Texas to complete his residency training at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. “While at OU, it was 60 to 80 hours per week of commitment to studying and attending class,” Jackson said.
After completing his medical training, Jackson moved to Austin, Texas, to work with Capital Anesthesia from 1991 to 1995. He then moved to Houston, where he still resides with his family, to work at what is now known as U.S. Anesthesia Partners. As one of 125 founding partners in USAP, he helped grow a company that started with 15 anesthesiologists and now has expanded nationwide, Jackson said. “It’s a grueling amount of work for 20 to 30 years to build up a successful business, but that’s what we did,” Jackson said. After moving to Houston, Jackson met his wife, Dr. Julie Jackson, in
NEXT GENERATION TECHNOLOGY IN BIMB The Illumni Miniseq is a next generation DNA sequencing device. The volume of data the machine is able to produce is extraordinary. DNA sequencing is becoming more commonly used in the health sector. “This next generation sequencing tool will be a part of students’ studies to prepare them for becoming a dentist, physician or veterinarian,” said John Gustafson, BIMB department head. Students are thankful for Dr. Stuart Jackson and his donation, because without it they wouldn’t be able to work on research projects, said Nolan Veenis, BIMB junior. “This machine is so incredible that it actually does most of the work for 34 WINTER/SPRING 2022
us,” Veenis said. “I just have to isolate the DNA and the machine will run the sequence and tell us the exact sequence it is.” Veenis’ research project looks at bacteria from oral and anal secreations by the American Baring Beetle to see if the antimicrobial enzyme substances can slow down meat preservation, Veenis added. Jackson wanted a way to memorialize his parents, James and Jeralyn Jackson, and mentor, Franklin Leech, Gustafson said. Through his donation and with this technology, he has made an incredible impact on the students at the OSU BIMB department, Gustafson added.
Nolan Veenis works with the Illumni Miniseq for his research project. Photo by Baylee Hogan.