SCIENTIST AT BAYER Stays Hungry for Knowledge
Though Douglas Hux, M.S. '96, has two master's degrees, he is eyeing courses in immunology and bioinformatics "just for fun."
By L.A. McKeown
 |
Douglas Hux, M.S. '96, poses in the lobby of Bayer HealthCare in Tarrytown, N.Y., where he recently celebrated 25 years of employment. The lobby is graced with a colorful mosaic, which may be stoking his desire to come back to the College for courses in immunology and bioinformatics. |
While working on his master of science degree in basic medical sciences, an interdisciplinary program at New Medical College, he wrote his second thesis on what is now an area of avid research in cardiac medicine, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). Essentially, BNP is a hormone that is released by the heart in response to some of the physical changes that occur in heart failure. They also can be measured in an emergency room to help physicians distinguish heart failure from other conditions with similar signs and symptoms. "BNP acts both as a vasodilator and as a diuretic to reduce the workload on the heart, which is a good thing for your body to do to itself if you're suffering from heart failure," Hux explains.
Cutting edge
It comes as no surprise that he was interested in cutting-edge technology nearly 20 years earlier when he wrote his first thesis to earn a master of science degree in mechanical engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. The topic then was the design and implementation of a computer-based system to operate a pneumatic blood pump. It was to be used in long-term cardiopulmonary bypass in newborn infants with a certain type of respiratory distress. Hux's project used one of the first types of microprocessors; newer versions of these tiny chips can be found embedded in personal computers and almost every other electronic device.
In the years between the two master's degrees, Hux honed his skills in an unusual and evolving field: writing software programs that control the precise mechanisms of clinical laboratory instruments. "I didn't start out explicitly deciding to work in this particular field but I've always had an interest in biology. My grandfather was an engineer and that field has fascinated me as well," Hux says. "Basically, it is the interplay of engineering and biology that has always interested me." As evidence, he points to his grandfather's slide rule from the 1920s that still has a place in his office-displayed on his desk.
Obviously, that interest has been long-lived. In September, he celebrated his 25th anniversary as an employee of Bayer HealthCare in Tarrytown, N.Y., where he is a senior research and development engineer. Two weeks later he celebrated his 50th birthday. Looking back, Hux believes he was in the right place at the right time when the company recruited him out of graduate school. His job involves helping to design and implement the embedded software that controls the operation of clinical laboratory instruments like serum analyzers, blood cell counters and urine chemistry machines. "I write the software that actually controls the low-level operations of an instrument such as moving probes, activating pumps, and coordinating the interplay of all of these things," he explains.
Instruments talk
There is a series of events that occur when a physician orders a blood or urine test. Hux is among the group of specialists with intimate knowledge of the complex "chatter" that goes on within the mechanisms of the instruments themselves. The chatter is the exchange of information that helps it control and coordinate the individual mechanical,electrical,hydraulic and optical components. They can actually aspirate a blood sample, mix it with the right reagents at the right time, and detect changes in the mixture that correlate with the concentration in the blood sample of whatever substance is being measured. The test results are then displayed on a monitor or sent to a central computer for medical personnel to read.
"I think my basic science and engineering backgrounds help me to understand the different aspects of what makes these instruments work," Hux says. "The basic medical science training also provides a perspective on why our work is important and why it is important to do it well." What Hux enjoys most about his job above all, is the chance to do a variety of things every day and to be challenged with the occasional oddball assignment.
Big in Japan
"The oddest assignment I ever had was to help adapt one of our clinical instruments for the Japanese market," he says. "It involved writing software to enable the instrument to display its operational menus and results in Japanese language characters instead of English language characters. I don't speak Japanese, but I still had to come up with a way to do the job. I think that is a good illustration of how my job is so varied. It can sometimes be a lot of fun to do different things like that."
If this man considers complicated night courses and assignments in foreign languages as "fun," it makes you wonder what he does for real fun. The answer,like the man himself, is both complex and straightforward. In his spare time, Hux finds good company with longtime girlfriend Marlene and their Jack Russell terrier named Moose. Recently he completed training to become an emergency medical technician. In the past he has taught performance driving at local racetracks, which incorporates elements of engineering and physics. He is also interested in woodworking and cabinetmaking. Hux is considering further studies in immunology and bioinformatics, and intends to improve his cooking skills. Do these incorporate the principles of engineering he finds so fascinating?
"Everything has some element of engineering to it," Hux says with a laugh. "Everything."