𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦?
What initially attracted me to the Seifert Scholars program was the opportunity to remain actively involved in the Clemson research community over the summer while dedicating myself full-time to an independent research project. During my time at Clemson, research has become one of the most rewarding parts of my education, and I value the opportunity to ask meaningful scientific questions and develop the skills needed to answer them. As someone planning to pursue medical school, I also see this experience as an opportunity to strengthen my ability to think critically, solve complex problems, and contribute to research that has the potential to improve patient care.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡?
I have been studying the fungus, Aspergillus Fumigatus, which represents a major yet underappreciated threat to public health. When a person inhales the A. Funigatus spores, the immune system recruits phagocytic cells to destroy the spores before they can germinate. Yet, these cells sometimes fail to prevent germination, leading to invasive aspergillosis, a disease with mortality rates ranging from 30% to 100% depending on various factors. One virulence factor believed to contribute to the ability of A. Funigatus to evade phagocytic cells is the RodA hydrophobin, which is responsible for masking the spores during this critical period between inhalation and the germination of the spores. My project seeks to explain why phagocytes are recruited and present, but fail to destroy the spores before germination. To do this, I use high-resolution imaging techniques to visualize the interactions between A. Fumigatus and phagocytic cells in living hosts in real time.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫?
Seifert Scholars has been a transformative program for me and my academic career. The focused, immersive nature of the Seifert Scholars program allowed me to take the skills and growing independence that I have developed in the Rosowski lab and apply them to my own project. By doing so, I was able to gain deeper insight into what it really means to be a researcher or a graduate student, rather than merely doing a little research in my spare time. This has motivated me to pursue a career in research as a M.D.-PhD.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧?
After graduation, I plan to attend medical school, become a physician, and ultimately advance patient care by conducting medical research, bridging the gap between laboratory discoveries and evidence-based clinical practice.