Jesse Cochran: Doctor? Scientist? Researcher?

Jesse Cochran -- one of more than 5,280 University of Iowa students to graduate in May 2019 - learned a lot while conducting research in a UI lab, and not just about heart disease. He found a model of professionalism and a newfound appreciation for discovery that's redefining his health care career path.

University of Iowa student Jesse Cochran learned a lot while conducting research in a UI lab, and not just about heart disease. He found a model of professionalism and a newfound appreciation for discovery that's redefining his health care career path.


From a fairly young age, University of Iowa undergraduate Jesse Cochran wanted to be a doctor. The Newton, Iowa native was curious about how the human body functions and how someday he could help people dealing with various afflictions. What Cochran didn't realize all those years ago is that the job titles of physician and researcher are not mutually exclusive.

Now, he plans to be both of those things.

"I never really thought that I would end up as a scientist or researcher," says Cochran, who in May will receive a degree in biology, chemistry, and biochemistry. "That's been a fairly recent development, which largely can be attributed to my research experiences at Iowa."

Cochran performs research in the E. Dale Abel lab group, with a specific focus on heart disease, metabolism, and endocrinology. "Every day, 2,300 American lives are lost due to cardiovascular disease. My family has had a long history of heart failure," Cochran says. "My work hopes to elucidate the molecular underpinnings of this disease and to develop treatment strategies for these models."

Conducting research has taught Cochran how to approach very complex and intricate problems: he breaks them down into simpler concepts and components. "From this reductionist view, I'm able to parse through the mechanisms leading to each component and then synthesize each section to obtain a more holistic perspective," he says.

To read Jesse's full story, click HERE.

To learn more about the University of Iowa's 2019 spring graduates, click HERE.

To view these students click here: https://uiowa.meritpages.com/achievements/Jesse-Cochran-Doctor-Scientist-Researcher-/107004