University: University of Washington
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
NIH Research Project:
Use of Yeast Two Hybrid to Investigate Cellular Protein Interactions with ORF 63 from Varicella-Zoster Virus
Mentor: Jeffrey Cohen, MD
Laboratory of Clinical Investigation
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
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My first exposure to the field of science was through shadowing my older sister, Nora, while she participated in the Research Apprenticeship Program at the University of Washington. Watching her work with her mentor to overcome obstacles in her experiments and listening to scientists talk enthusiastically about their projects brought out a passion in me to learn more about science.
Over the years, I participated in various summer science programs, yet it was not until my first year at the University of Washington that my interest in science developed into an exciting professional goal. Working in a cardiovascular research lab for the past year allowed me to learn about the role that biomedical research plays in the health care field and led me to major in bioengineering and Spanish.
This summer, I have the privilege of training with Dr. Jeffrey Cohen and Dr. Trent Bosma in the Medical Virology Section, Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. My research focuses on the role of ORF 63, a viral protein expressed in the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) during latency. This study is significant because it could lead to a better understanding of how VZV, and other herpes viruses, evade the immune system, which in turn could lead to new insights into the immune system and improved vaccines.
My future plans and goals are to graduate from the University of Washington, earn an M.D. and Ph.D., and then use my skills and knowledge to help prevent and cure diseases in medically underserved communities. |
