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Interferon Response Proposal

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Hopkins Secondary
Love_angel1 PIN: FS63H336693
• If you have already received your bachelor's degree, please describe what you have been doing since graduation, and your plans for the upcoming year. (700 characters)
Since the beginning of July, I have been conducting research as a post-baccalaureate scholar in Dr. Janice Clements’ lab at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. My current project is investigating the selective suppression of part of the interferon response pathway in human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs). I am investigating whether this suppression is chemokine-specific, tissue-specific, and/or, HIV-specific. In addition to research, I have shadowed an infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and …show more content…

She is not deceased, but instead is a shell of the vibrant, active, loving mother that she was before her stroke. Now, she suffers from aphasia, paralysis of her right side of her body, dementia, and regularly suffers from depression. The day after my mother’s stroke, I had a math exam. Although one part of my life felt as if it were moving in slow-motion, the other parts were moving at their normal pace. The strategy that guided me through this time was compartmentalization. My ability to focus on the activity or problem at hand has been critical in my successful execution of these demands, without being overwhelmed. So that night, I closed the emotionally-demanding compartment thinking about my mother, and opened another to prepare for my math test. My mother’s stroke was not an event that had a distinct start and finish, but instead is something that continuously forces me to adapt. Similarly, a career in research and medicine will involve emotional, mental, and professional challenges that overlap and may be long-lasting. I believe that my matured ability to compartmentalize will help me overcome challenges in my future as a …show more content…

In light of that and the way diversity is typically measured, there are few like me. The National Science Foundation estimates that only 2 percent of science and engineering professionals are black women. As a result, during my entire undergraduate career as a biology major, I was in the minority. However, this has not discouraged me, but instead has motivated me to push through the adversity and encourage others to do the same. I believe a large contributor to this mentality was mentorship that I received from the beginning of my time at Carolina when a professor saw the potential in me, and told me not to give up. I am forever grateful for that. From this continued experience, I learned that outreach is extremely important to me, and joining an institution that is devoted to outreach and creating an inclusive, diverse community is required. It can be difficult to be in the minority for an extended amount of time, but I believe that encouraging those younger than me to push through the adversity and not let it influence their goals, will help increase

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