2010 MHIRT Fellows
2010 MHIRT fellows talk about the transformative experience of working abroad in their own words.
BRAZIL — Phylogenomics of Protozoa
Justin Wang
Kimmen Sjölander, UC Berkeley and Alberto Dávila, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
MHIRT gave me the extraordinary opportunity to perform research iat FIOCRUZ in Rio de Janeiro. I worked in a bioinformatics lab in which I helped with their web database for protozoa genomic information. The most defining aspect of the trip was the people I met there. Despite the language and cultural difficulties, everyone was willing to put in the extra energy to make sure I was enjoying both my work and overall stay. Through it, I was able to explore a lot of different aspects of the city and the
environment I was in. I found myself participating in different activities such as a daily beach volleyball classes, Friday night bar, world cup viewing and much more. This experience truly made me realize the breadth and scope of different world cultures as well as the intrinsic friendliness of human nature.
BRAZIL — Bacterial and Viral Infections
Tianyi Zhang
Lee Riley, UC Berkeley and Sergio Arruda, Fiocruz Bahia
I learned a lot about global health and living and working in another country from my MHIRT fellowship experience. I had the opportunity to not only learn different ways of doing research but also attend great research talks on interesting subjects such as leptospirosis, leishmaniasis, leprosy, and other neglected diseases that I never had the chance to learn about in the US. My PI also planned a conference for over 100 people and enlisted me to help him organize it, another valuable experience from which I learned a lot about what it takes to organize a large gathering. Outside of work, I had a chance to further develop my Portuguese and immerse myself by living with a host family. I traveled around during my spare time. In the process, I got to know some incredible people, both travelers and locals, many of whom I still keep in touch with today.
CHINA — HIV Transcription Activation
John Huizar
Tom Alber, UC Berkeley and Ruichuan Chen, Xiamen University
I was privileged to have completed the MHIRT fellowship in 2010 at Xiamen University in China. It was my first experience with full-time bench work, and I fell in love with research. The pace of work, the methods, and the style of project leadership were all new to me, and it was fascinating to see how science worked in another country. My hosts in the lab were incredibly helpful, especially given that I spoke about two words of Chinese when I arrived (three when I left), and we developed a friendship that continues to this day. My current roommates are a Chinese couple visiting on academic fellowship, and I take pride our effort as a house to teach them American culture. So far we have taught them how to use the popular bay area adjective “hella,” and we are working on explaining what a “hipster” is. We are also reading Catcher in the Rye. MHIRT introduced me to a mentor and friend whose guidance has been invaluable, Professor Tom Alber. I found a very special home in Tom’s lab and have taken a job as a Junior Specialist in the interim between my undergraduate and medical education. For all these things, I thank the UC Berkeley MHIRT Program
CHINA — HIV & Prostratin
James Pao
Qiang Zhou, UC Berkeley and Riuchuan Chen, Xiamen University
Traveling to China on the Global Health Fellowship was a unique opportunity that allowed me to further develop my research skills while living in a foreign country. I participated in research focused on elucidating the mechanisms of HIV replication in the Chen Lab at Xiamen University. Meanwhile I also had the chance to explore the beautiful city of Xiamen during local excursions and learn about the rich centuries old traditions within Chinese culture. I had a great time in China and feel that my experience abroad has given me a wealth of new knowledge. Furthermore, it has introduced me to the many possibilities within the vast field of medical research. With the kind mentorship from the professors and several members of the Chen Lab, John and I developed a lentiviral vector for use in silencing the ELL2 transcription factor important in HIV transcriptional regulation. This success has motivated me to continue to investigate the potential that scientific research holds. I hope to pursue a career in translational biomedical research, and am currently applying to medical school with this purpose in mind. I want to thank MHIRT for this wonderful opportunity and am grateful to have been a part of this program.
INDIA — Bacterial and Viral Infections
Pooja Jaeel
Art Reingold, UC Berkeley and Purnima Madhivanan, Public Health Research Institute
I had the privilege of working alongside brilliant and compassionate individuals while doing research and providing medical care the Public Health Research Institute (PHRI) in South India. I did not anticipate exactly how different it would be to work in a lab where things like power, lab supplies, and samples were unpredictable. I was amazed at how much the researchers were doing with less supplies and a tighter budget than the lab at Berkeley. Doing research in India definitely instilled in me more respect for the creativity and patience it took to solve problems. In addition to research I was fortunate enough to be involved in the service projects at PHRI, most of which involved women who lived in villages or slums. I saw the practice of medicine everywhere - from the institute's three room clinic to the back of the PHRI van in the middle of the monsoon rains. I met pregnant women who were much younger than I was and was humbled by their life experiences. I saw the whole medical camp team drive out to a village 45 minutes away just to provide free services to the one woman they had missed during the medical camp. These experiences showed me the intimate relationship between being scientists or doctors and being compassionate human beings. I grew a broader perspective about health care and the people who dedicate their lives to it. I also met amazing people who have influenced both my professional and personal future plans. I am incredibly thankful for this experience and would do it all over again.
UGANDA — Malaria Drug Trials
Kaitlin Hall
Phil Rosenthal, UC San Francisco and Moses Kamya, Makerere University
MHIRT gave me an amazing opportunity to learn A LOT of new lab techniques, go abroad to Africa, experience a new culture, and learn about my capabilities and myself. Doing research abroad in Uganda was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had. While in Uganda I met some of the most interesting and kind people I’ve ever known, while also being apart of a really interesting translational research project. My project consisted of culturing P. falciparum malaria parasites in vitro and taking blood spots daily for later molecular studies. One of the greatest aspects of the project was that I was actually able to see and meet the kids whose blood samples I was culturing and now I am continuing work in the same lab here in San Francisco, using those same samples for my honors project. In addition to writing an honors thesis, I am in my final semester at UC Berkeley and am currently applying for jobs for the time I’m taking off before I apply to medical school. I will never forget the incredible summer I had in Uganda, all thanks to MHIRT!