In 2011, Jonathan Yap entered the lab of researcher William Boisvert at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), as a volunteer. Twelve years later, thanks to a coveted National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant, Yap will become a principal investigator (PI), the highest level of the research tiers.
This achievement is rare for many researchers but even more impressive, considering Yap has never been able to do hands-on lab work; a spinal cord injury during a body surfing accident rendered him quadriplegic. For many, the setback could have put their life on a different path, but Yap persisted.
Related UH News story: Quadriplegic scientist flourishes at UH med school with helping hands
After more than a decade of diligent and novel work and earning his PhD in cell and molecular biology in 2019, the Native Hawaiian scientist is receiving a grant from the NIH as he studies ways to make heart attack victims heal quicker.
The Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers program award is part of NIH’s efforts to enhance diversity within the academic biomedical research workforce for outstanding postdoctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds and help them complete needed mentored training and transition to independent, tenure-track faculty positions.
Yap is examining a specific protein within macrophages (white blood cells that surround and kill microorganisms, remove dead cells and stimulate the action of other immune system cells) called Tristetraprolin and its possible contribution to heart healing after a heart attack.
“For able-bodied people, going from volunteer to PI is unusual,” Boisvert said. “Jon climbed the ladder as fast as anyone really could.”
Interest in cardiovascular science
Yap always had an interest in cardiovascular science, and his journey at JABSOM started after he got his master’s in physiology. He found cardiovascular pathology to be one of the more exciting parts of the curriculum.
“I wanted to get my PhD, but I didn’t know if it was possible, so I wanted to see what it was like in a laboratory environment,” he said. “I looked at JABSOM and saw who was taking on new students. There was a list of 10 people. I would apply in increments of three, and Bill was one of the first three.”
Boisvert said, “His interest level was so high, and his desire to be involved in the world of research was so apparent. I wanted to have him join. His mind was a great asset.”
A voracious reader of scientific work, Yap was accepted as a volunteer. He would sit in on meetings and learn about the cardiovascular research done in Boisvert’s lab. About three months in, Boisvert realized he had a gifted scientist on his hands.
“He was so up on the literature and was contributing novel ideas and different ways of doing things that it became very apparent that he could be a valuable, contributing member to the lab and to the world of research in general,” Boisvert said.
Seeing the potential
Boisvert wanted Yap to play a more prominent role in his lab, but because Yap is paralyzed in his arms and legs, Boisvert had to get creative.
“It was going to be a challenge at all times. Frankly, that’s probably the major reason why other researchers did not look favorably upon Jon,” Boisvert said. “It’s not something anyone wants to deal with, but I saw the potential, and I liked Jon enormously as a person. I really wanted things to work out for him, so we found ways.”
Those ways would consist of a technician in the lab—a pair of hands to do the work that Yap physically couldn’t do.
“I work with amazing people, and I design the experiments on paper, understanding the principles of what needs to be done in terms of science, designing the experiments, having discussions with Bill and the technicians on the best way to get these things done. Then the technicians go to work on it,” Yap explained. “They carry out the technical and mechanical aspects of the experimentation. I provide conceptual guidance and experimental design.”
After more than a decade of benevolent guidance from Boisvert, Yap is looking to follow in his mentor’s footsteps and pass on the knowledge he received to younger scientists and those interested in health, particularly Native Hawaiians.
“Mentoring the next generation of scientists, especially in Hawaiʻi, in this climate, is absolutely my goal. It’s not just science, but life. I’ve learned life lessons from Bill, too,” Yap said.
