Sarah's Story
What is your global health story? What experiences have you had with global health?
I never really considered a career in global health until I attended BioQuest Academy in 2005. During this program, I realized that studying infectious disease is both exciting, important, and would make for a fulfilling career. After receiving much inspiration from BioQuest, I chose to conduct original epidemiological research on malaria for my senior project. Under the guidance of Theresa Britschgi and Dr. Karen Cowgill, I completed my project, integrating both epidemiological and entomological data to form a better understanding of the transmission dynamics of malaria in Ghana. During this time Dr. Ted White, one of Seattle Biomedical Research Institute’s principal investigators, offered me an internship position. As I worked alongside the members of the White lab, I had the opportunity to perfect the skills I learned in BioQuest while studying the virulence factors and drug resistance of the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. For the past three years, I have worked (part-time) in Dr. White’s lab.
During the school year I am a full-time student at the University of Washington (Major: Microbiology, Minor: Global Health.) During the summer of 2008, I participated in a UW study abroad program in Chile where I focused on studying their recently-reformed public health care system. The trip included attending public health-related lectures at several universities, and shadowing doctors, nurses, and public health experts in three different regions of the country. The study abroad experience greatly contributed to my knowledge of public health. After I graduate from the University of Washington, I plan to travel abroad again and perhaps volunteer. I am still exploring my post-undergraduate choices: research or medical school!
What was your favorite lab that you participated in while you attended the Academy?
Pathobiology, the study of the causes and mechanisms of disease, is very interesting to me. It won’t surprise you then that my favorite lab in BioQuest academy was when we infected our own cheek cells with Neisseria gonorrhoeae. I thought that was just plain cool! I also really liked doing an ELISA test and learning about the diagnostics of infectious disease.
How has the BioQuest Academy helped you?
BioQuest Academy was an invaluable experience. Working with research scientists was awesome. They were not only willing to help me understand experiments, but were also always open to talk about career paths and their own personal experiences in the field. To this day they remain resources for me to turn to when I need science or career advice. Furthermore, the experiments and activities I participated in at BQA went above and beyond any laboratory work I did in high school. We were doing, in the BioQuest laboratory, the same experiments the researchers were doing in the Institute upstairs! I not only learned about the latest, coolest research techniques, but also practiced useful laboratory skills. These skills definitely came in handy later when I completed an internship at Seattle Biomedical Research Institute and took lab classes at the University of Washington.
Now that you are a graduate of the BioQuest Academy, what advice would you give to an incoming student?
Don’t be afraid to try something new! For a long time I wanted to be a doctor. Now I realize that pathobiology and public health suits me better. Instead of settling into something right away, let yourself explore all of the possible options. BQA is a great way to explore what it is like to work in a real research laboratory. Make the best of the time you have at the academy by getting to know mentors and your fellow students. Also, the field of global health is increasingly multidisciplinary. Bring any skills you have. Engineering, biology, computer science, environmental studies, etc. will all be useful and important!
