James Edward Bourdeau
Why did you choose Northwestern?
My father and his cousin, as well as their uncle, were graduates of the medical school, and I was accepted into the Honors Program in Medical Education (HPME) while in high school.
How would you describe your research and/or work to a non-academic audience? What was it then and/or what it is now?
I investigated how the kidneys handle protein, a process that is important in both health and disease. Subsequently, after graduating from Northwestern, I pursued research in how the kidneys handle calcium and phosphorus, important processes in the body's mineral economy.
Tell us who or what inspired your research and/or work.
My doctoral mentor, Dr. Frank Carone, inspired my thesis work and early publications. The research questions combined basic biological science with clinically relevant problems, a connection which I was seeking as a student in the Medical Science Training Program (MSTP.)
What are you most proud of in your career to date?
I am most proud of my recognition of my contributions to renal physiology and nephrology by the election to the American Society of Clinical Investigation in 1992.
Tell us about a current achievement or something you're working on that excites you.
As a retiree, I am writing a novel focusing on the era in which I have lived and a character study of individuals in this era.
What advice would you give your younger self or someone considering a similar path?
Read extensively. Be open-minded about the research questions being pursued and about unexpected results. Work together with others in a team.