Vince Tedjasaputra (2009)
Track & Field
Human Biology, Sixth College
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Vince throwing the hammer.
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Vince Tedjasaputra, former UC San Diego Track and Field thrower, is currently working towards his Exercise Physiology PhD at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. His research focuses on how the heart and lungs work together to supply the body with oxygen during exercise, studying a broad range of people from elite athletes to those suffering from heart or lung disease. His most recent work was published in The Journal of Physiology earlier this month. “The results of the study suggest that the lungs of highly fit athletes are better able to diffuse oxygen into the blood, due to differences in the pulmonary membrane. Contrary to previous work, this is some of the first evidence showing a potential adaptation in the lungs of athletes that allows them to perform at the highest levels of exercise,” he explains.
Vince and his colleagues are extremely excited to be presenting this research, as it goes against decades of work and previously accepted thought. It is one of the first studies to show that athletes’ lungs might be physiologically different than non-athletes and may facilitate the demands of elite performance. In addition, “It’s cool to tie together my history in athletics, and do work that makes a real difference,” he says.
One of the most challenging aspects of Vince’s profession is making others understand and care about the research. “The hardest part is learning to translate the work into layperson’s terms and to make people care,” he says. Communicating new scientific knowledge in terms that the general public can understand and benefit from is a crucial aspect of doing research, and simultaneously one of the hardest.
Vince first began doing research as an undergraduate at UC San Diego. While he was on the track team, he found himself wondering about supplements and the vast amount of misinformation about them. Thus began his involvement in exercise physiology research. There were many exercise physiology resources on campus, and his teammate’s father was also a professor at San Diego State. Vince met him at a track meet and eventually ended up doing his Master’s degree with him at San Diego State.
Vince takes great pride in being a UC San Diego alumni athlete. “Even though I went to San Diego State for my Master’s, I don’t really see myself as an Aztecs fan. Your undergrad is your true alliance!” Vince loves to keep up with UC San Diego athletics: “I am stoked to see our teams win. I always like to see them doing well.”
The time and effort spent as a student-athlete was hard, but Vince explains that it was truly worthwhile. “You wake up at 6 AM, go to practice, go to class, practice again, lift, and then write a paper. Those habits and the mindset of training and working hard really set me up for my career.”
Aside from accomplishing groundbreaking new research and being a stellar athlete, Vince is very proud of his other passions and activities. “I’m a classically trained operatic singer. I got to sing the Canadian national anthem at the FIBA Americas Women’s Championship gold medal game in 2015, and I am the official anthem singer for the University of Alberta Athletics.” He also stays active learning how to play ice hockey and mountain biking in Canada.
Vince believes that UC San Diego’s history of divisional moves has boosted the university’s status in both academics and athletics. “I graduated in ’09, and since then, the value of my degree is increasing as the school gets better. It is an investment in your future. You can watch your degree mature.” Along with this, being a student-athlete gives you a community that you will always belong to: “Whenever I come across someone that played a sport at UC San Diego, there’s certainly a bond. There is a certain pride I always carry.”
Alumni Spotlight is written by student-athlete Lauren Iannetta (’17), a history major from Eleanor Roosevelt College. She is a second year on the women’s rowing team. If you are interested in sharing your Triton Alumni Athlete story, please contact Danielle Boyle Melman at daboyle@ucsd.edu.
Previous Alumni Spotlights:
Maya Fok - 2003
Jamie Hurst - 2005
Susan Zneimer - 1980
Jay & Tracy Hagan - 1992
Gordon McNeill - 1992
Lauren Segars - 2008
Shane Poppen - 2009
Sherine Ebadi - 1998
Brett Stuckey - 2009
Richard Freer - 1975
Christina Guintu - 2001
Toya Ellis - 1991
