Hallinen’s Heart Keeps Her Moving

You can talk to anyone at Carnegie Mellon University – students, athletes, coaches, faculty, staff – and they will all tell you the same thing, "you can do anything you want to do here and everyone is so welcoming." Senior women's track and field athlete Kelsey Hallinen certainly brought that statement to life during her four-year career as a Tartan majoring in physics and minoring in history as a student in the Science and Humanities Scholars Program.

When Hallinen was searching for the right college, she knew she wanted to study physics and she knew about Carnegie Mellon's reputation in the science field. Hallinen also felt it was the right place to continue running and could provide her with the opportunities she wanted to pursue in academics. It certainly didn't hurt that she grew up around campus with parents who are both university lifers – her mom, Judy, a graduate and current assistant vice provost for educational outreach and director of the Gelfand Center, and dad, Ken, a graduate and director of resource planning and management for computing services as well as an assistant track coach.

Like any other student, Hallinen started her academic path with introductory courses. Her career path became more evident the day she decided she wanted to pursue research and knocked on a lab professor's door.

"It was probably one of the scariest moments of my life," Hallinen said. "But I just knocked on Professor [Stephanie] Tristram-Nagle's door and asked to be a part of her lab."

What happened next is further proof of the aforementioned statement on the welcoming presence of the members of campus.

"That moment she happened to be making a sample for one of the x-ray experiments and needed to complete was she was doing," continued Hallinen. "She welcomed me in and said I could watch. So even from the first day I felt I could be part of something."

Hallinen was given her own research project and worked closely with Professor Tristram-Nagle.

"One of the great things about Carnegie Mellon is the labs aren't giant where you might see the professor once every three weeks," Hallinen said. "Professor Tristram-Nagle was always in lab with me and Professor [John] Nagle, who works more on theory, would communicate with me as well."

That experience sparked her interest in biophysics and led to her first summer internship, where she was supported by a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) grant.  She stayed at Carnegie Mellon and was able to finish her research and was asked to write a publication.

"It was a little daunting at first as I was asked to write what I think should go in a scientific paper," Hallinen said. "The experience of writing, going through a lot of edits and really working with it is something I don't think I could have gotten at another school with a giant lab. It was really a personal experience and really focused, and it was clear they [professors] cared about the project."

That publication on volumetric stability of lipid bilayers was published in Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics in 2012.

Hallinen used the following summer to see what working in a larger lab would be like. She took advantage of the Department of Energy Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program and applied to work at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University, which has the highest powered density linear accelerator currently in existence.

All of this, in conjunction with a personal affinity for the heart, solidified Hallinen's decision to pursue her Ph.D. in biophysics. She narrowed her search to Michigan, Stanford and Johns Hopkins but was also accepted into Cambridge for a one year master's program.

Michigan won her over with its great research program and professors who are working on cardiac applications, partly due to her high interest in cardiac arrhythmias, which is inspired by her own congenital heart defect. While visiting Michigan, she connected with a professor who also has a heart defect. It was the type of interaction that really stood out to her where she felt she could see herself doing the research she is interested in and have the professors understand her motivation.

"Ultimately, my decision came down to Michigan," Hallinen said. "I really wanted to go to Cambridge for a year but the overarching graduate program at Michigan only allows deferrals for medical problems or unforeseen circumstances and not for education."

Hallinen was told by Michigan she could always re-apply next year and that she was a good candidate but there were no guarantees. She was also offered five years of funding and was nominated for a minority in science scholarship.

"To have it all on the table right now and to think of trying again; I couldn't bring myself to do it," said Hallinen. "The offer was too good to pass up."

At the age of two, Hallinen had open heart surgery to fix a hole in her heart. At that time, the doctors had to make a valve to replace a piece that wasn't there. Her parents were told by the age of 12 she would need surgery to replace the valve.

When Hallinen turned 12 no issues were found, so she's maintained her physical activity and checks in yearly. Her doctors have said her valve is leaking more but as long as she continues to be active she can put off surgery as long as possible.

One thing that has inspired Hallinen to stay close to the cardiac question is that she volunteers every summer at the Dr. Bill Neches Heart Camp for Kids, run by the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, for children ages eight to 16. She hasn't missed a year since she started as an eight-year-old camper, evolving to a counselor and will be returning for her 15th year this summer.

"It's a chance for children who can't go to a normal camp – because you can't take an entire box of meds and give them to a normal camp counselor with instructions –  to receive a summer camp experience," said Hallinen. "It's just not practical for most summer camps to be able to facilitate the medical needs. Our camp has a full staff of doctors and nurses with access to medication that is necessary."

Hallinen once aspired to be a doctor to help all the kids like her but has decided biophysics is a great area where she can do research and develop treatments to give to doctors.

"Going and seeing all the campers and seeing the eight-year-olds who are there for the first time with the same problems as others, sitting in a cabin and realizing they have the same problem as someone else and being excited about it, just moves me and keeps me grounded," Hallinen continued. "I've had a positive outcome. A lot has been figured out about heart disease but there is so much more out there to be discovered and answered and that's what motivates me."

As an athlete, one would think her heart defect could pose a challenge. But for Hallinen, athletic activity has been encouraged.

"There are things I'm not allowed to do," said Hallinen. "I can't do heavy isometric exercises. So on days when teammates are trying to find their max, I have a work around."

A distance runner as a youth, Hallinen found her niche in the hurdles during high school when her team didn't have any females to compete in the event. She transitioned from an 800-meter runner to a 400-meter hurdler through help from her father Ken, who was a runner as a Tartan and who has assisted the Carnegie Mellon track and field programs for 25 years.

"It's been great to have him around," said Hallinen. "When I decided I really liked hurdles and wanted to continue with it, my dad would come to our high school track and help me with my timing and technique."

Track has always been a part of Hallinen's life and something she feels she'll have to make time for while at Michigan.

"It's been a great four years," said Hallinen. "It's hard to believe in a few weeks I'll have my last UAA [University Athletic Association] meet and track will be done, especially since I've been running track since seventh grade. I'll have to find a way to get access to hurdles next year."

Hallinen is one of many students who have taken advantage of all the great things Carnegie Mellon has to offer, from a joint scholars program, to research, to participating in varsity athletics.

"CMU is a great school for whatever it is you want to do," said Hallinen. "There is a club for anything and if you don't find the one you want, you can make your own club. Running on the track team has been great. It puts you in touch with people outside your major, provides stress relief and time management skills and lets you know you are in a place where you can do so much but still really bring it all together, take a deep breath at the end of the day and know it will be okay."