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Staff Members
The Brian Tseng Muscular Dystrophy Research Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital is growing!
- Laurie Bliss, Clinic Coordinator
- Michelle E. Mail, Research Technologist, Lab Manager
- Yero Saponjian, Research Associate
- Seth Wakefield, Research Laboratory Technician
Brian Tseng, Principal Investigator
As an assistant professor, I wear several hats as I have joined the faculty at Harvard Medical School/ MGH in the Department of Neurology, Division of Child Neurology. With an MD/PhD background, I am a physician-scientist working to find better treatments and better care for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). In the year 2007, we have no better treatment for DMD than corticosteroids, which are fraught with numerous side-effects. I am also a board-certified pediatric neurologist with neuromuscular interest. My inspiration is drawn from the wonderful pediatric patients/families that I follow and have come to absolutely admire!
My research team is comprised of super smart, passionate and motivated individuals. Please look at their bio blurbs. I welcome any students/fellows (medical, graduate or MSTP) to contact me for opportunities to have a research or clinical experience.
I work hard and play hard. I don’t get out much and that is fine with me. One highlight of my summer is to volunteer as the camp doctor at the MDA Summer Camp. See many of the Photos in our lab web pages from camp. It is pretty much mandatory for my lab team members to join in for this weeklong camp experience. The impact is real and the motivation for research is obvious!
The clinical problem drives the research and the research will hopefully advance the clinical arena. I’m all
about translational research, thus I live and breathe the adage that “bedside to bench and back to bedside.”
This is a lifelong commitment and I am chasing my professional dream to try to make contributions in this area of muscular dystrophy. We need better treatments and bridging therapies so we can await ultimate cures to come.
I am often asked how one can help in this crusade against DMD. I would plea that you tell everyone you know about this terrible disease. If you can recruit people to help raise DMD awareness, help with MDA or PPMD efforts, volunteer at an MDA camp, or help any dedicated lab studying DMD.
If you know anyone or any organization looking to make tax-deductible donations, please consider designating the Tseng muscular dystrophy lab which is dedicated 100% towards muscular dystrophy research. For more info, please contact:
Anne Maclean
E-mail: acmaclean@partners.org
Phone: 617-643-0463Mailing Address
Massachusetts General Hospital
Development Office
165 Cambridge Street, Suite 600
Boston, MA 02114-2792
I am so grateful for the support from NIH NIAMS, The Sharp Family Foundation and Hike for Hope/Rock for Hope, The Young Fund, The Jett Foundation, CureDuchenne Foundation, Charley’s Fund, Nash Avery Foundation, The Miller and Goin families, Brad Stephenson, Kevin Goodfellow and family, Mike Lu Foundation, For Their Sake Foundation, my Uncles, Aunts and cousins and many friends! I also would like to thank my mom, late father, my amazing siblings and their extended families!
I thank my research team and mentors!
Finally I thank my wife and kids for supporting/putting up with, “dad is late again” or “dad works too much!”
Laurie Bliss, Clinic Coordinator
I recently graduated from Smith College where I majored in psychology. While there, I was initiated into the fascinating world of research, working closely with Dr. Randy Frost on his study of compulsive hoarders. Together we examined behavioral tendencies among not only the hoarders themselves, but their family members as well. Our goal was to detect any sort of underlying connections between a hoarder’s behaviors and those of his/her family members that might indicate possible genetic links. Not only was this experience enormously rewarding, not to mention fun, but it triggered within me the realization that this was my avenue in life, and that at some point in the not-too-distant future, I would be heading for medical school.
Personally, I have to confess, I am a workaholic. As I enumerate my various passions, the experience of learning tops the list. I just can’t seem to get enough of it. In my spare time, I take night classes focusing on my many interests. Currently, in preparation for medical school, this means lots of science – physics, chemistry, biology and anything else that might be necessary. As if that weren’t enough, I am entering my third summer of association with Camp Jabberwocky, an absolutely wonderful program on Martha’s Vineyard for children and adults with all manner of special needs. Campers come to the island for a month and experience the ocean and the unconstrained wonders of the great outdoors. The collective joy, fun, and laughter of Camp Jabberwocky are infectious, and I doubt I shall ever recover.
Working with Dr. Tseng in the Pediatric Neuromuscular Clinic as his Clinical Coordinator is proving to be an amazing experience. Not only does the job feed right into my addiction to learning, but the people associated with my work enrich my soul with every passing day. I look forward to being part of this incredible team for as long as it takes to discover the answers to treating and curing DMD.
Michelle E. Mail, Research Technologist, Lab Manager
My career in science began after graduating from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. I migrated from the icy cold city of Boston to the warmer climate of San Diego, CA where I accepted a Research Technician position at Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA in the Neuropharmacology Department. During the next few years, I was involved in a project with Human T cell leukemia virus (HTLV-1).
I eventually returned to the Massachusetts area and worked for the next ten years as a Senior Research Associate at Therion Biologics Corporation in Cambridge, MA where I was involved in the development of vaccine drugs for the treatment of various cancers.
After Therion Biologics was dissolved in 2006, I became a Research Technologist in the Neurology Department at MGH working for Dr. Kevin Staley. It was here that I met Dr. Brian Tseng and became part of his research team working on finding better treatment options for DMD patients while continuing to work for Dr. Kevin Staley.
Interests: Outside of work, I enjoy making jewelry and teaching children how to make polymer clay beads, playing tennis and bike riding with my family.
Yero Saponjian, Research Associate
Born into a family of physicians I have had a lot of exposure to the medical field throughout the years and have always been fascinated by medicine and the extraordinarily complex and enigmatic human body. Having the opportunity to contribute to a healthier society has always been a professional dream of mine. After graduating from Elizabethtown College with a degree in Biology/Pre-medicine, I joined Dr. Brian Tseng on his remarkable and crucial research efforts towards finding better treatments and cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).
Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital’s blend of tradition of excellence in conducting research at the cutting edge of knowledge as well as the commitment to providing excellent clinical care to the community are remarkable. It is an honor to be granted an opportunity to become part of such a tremendous and notable tradition.
Biomedical research can be extremely demanding, convoluted, strenuous and time consuming. The path of a researcher is very exigent and both mentally and physically grueling. Often it requires enormous amounts of hard work, determination, persistency, open mindedness and creative thinking. Various obstacles, setbacks and disappointments are almost inevitable. It is very important to always remain passionate, maintain strong willpower, unshakable desire to succeed and never get discouraged in order to be able to maneuver through all the impediments. I believe the key to success and a great source of motivation is knowing that your effort and findings may either lead to a cure or treatments for various severe and lethal diseases and disorders affecting thousands to millions of human beings all over the world or at least serve as platform and aid others in their research efforts.
Interests: I am a very athletic, outgoing and passionate individual who tries to live his life to the fullest and leave no regrets. I enjoy spending time with my amazing family and great friends.
Seth Wakefield, Research Laboratory Technician
I have always been fascinated by the sciences. Chemistry and physics appealed to me originally. I decided to major in neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh. Neuroscience appealed to me as a discipline because it incorporated many other areas of science. After taking Human Physiology I have been fascinated with the human body. I found that course one of the most interesting at Pitt along with Psychiatric Disorders and Brain Function and Biochemistry.
Previously I worked in medical research in the otolaryngology lab of Dr. Bill Yates looking for a new treatment for sleep apnea.
I am excited to have the opportunity to work with Dr. Brian Tseng in the area of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. It is an area in much need of a breakthrough. I hope my work can help contribute to the new advances.
Interests: I play most sports; my favorites at this moment are tennis and golf. I also have been a sailing instructor, played lacrosse competitively and skied all around North America.
Lab Alumni, Denver, Colorado
