Georgetown College. Georgetown University.

Senior Nik Kappy hopes to continue his education in medical school next year. (Photo: Roland Dimaya)

By Theodora Danylevich

Nik Kappy, currently a senior in Dr. Douglas Eagles’ lab, is forging ahead in applied research on how the ketogenic diet works to cure epilepsy.

“I study the effects of varying diet on seizure resistance, with a concentration on the ketogenic diet,” says Kappy. “Our protocols normally involve the raising of a generation of genetically similar laboratory rats under varying diet conditions, including high fat and varying levels of calorie restriction.” After a period of time on these various diets, Dr. Eagles and Kappy induce seizures in the rats, using injections and electroshock. Then they measure seizure resistance, blood glucose, and BHB levels.

“My favorite part of the work is the hands-on nature of data collection associated with our area of study,” Kappy explains. “Whether it be starting an IV line in the tiny tail vein of a rat, drawing and analyzing blood chemistry, or inducing and calling a seizure, it’s all part of an exciting lab experience. The notion that something as simple as a change in diet could help seizure sufferers, especially children, ward off and cope with their debilitating disorder rather than the use of an expensive and possibly dangerous drug excites me, and reminds me that lifestyle change can be the most effective ‘drug’ for certain health-related problems. This, along with my interest in neurophysiology, the work’s direct applicability to human medicine, and Dr. Eagles’ expertise in the field led me to join his lab.”

In addition to the knowledge gained from the work itself, Kappy has come to appreciate the immense importance of sound technique and attention to detail in the scientific world from working with Dr. Eagles.

“The integrity of data greatly depends on the integrity of the study that yields it, and I’ve learned that no matter how much more time or effort it takes, the work must be done right,” says Kappy.

Kappy knows that the technical skills as well as the scientific methodology skills that he’s learned and honed in Dr. Eagles’ lab will help him to succeed in his future career as a medical doctor.

“In many ways, the practice of medicine is very similar to laboratory research,” says Kappy. “Hypotheses must be made, experimentation must be performed, data must be collected, and conclusions must be drawn in the treatment of all patients, no matter their illness or disorder.”

Originally from Holmdel, New Jersey, Kappy was further inspired in the field of medicine when he spent the entire summer of his sophomore year at Georgetown as a medical volunteer aid in Ghana. Kappy provided medical aid at the Police Hospital in the city of Accra, as well as at various orphanages in rural Ghana, an experience that he considers to be the highlight of his undergraduate career.

“The experience allowed me to live the third world life and to gain a new perspective on the life of absolute plenty we enjoy in the United States,” he says. “It also exposed me to a side of medicine never seen in the U.S., which includes epidemics of malaria, cholera, and AIDS, and how the destitute of the world cope with and survive such seemingly insurmountable odds.”

In addition to his interest in biology and medicine, Kappy is an avid and accomplished photographer, with a passion for the studio arts. He has fused these two interests into his Georgetown experience by majoring in Biology with a minor in Studio Art.

“I see the infinitely complex nature of life as a work of art in itself. Those aspects of life that cannot be expressed by numbers in a data column may sometimes require an artist’s mind to be explained,” says Kappy. He has composed a photo collection based on the orphans he encountered and treated in impoverished areas of Ghana.

“The series of black and white images, mainly portraits, represents my attempt to capture the human element behind medicine, the person behind the illness,” explains Kappy.

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