Reflections from the field

An awarding experience

My mission trip to Madagascarwas essential to my understanding of the problem. Observing the surrounding conditions and how the population interacts with these sites is crucial for understanding the environmental factors that potentially contribute to circulation of viruses and possibly human exposure to these viruses. Having the opportunity to talk with the lead scientists on the project, getting a better understanding of the actual circumstances they sample and any challenges they encounter, was invaluable. This exchange of ideas led to rich discussions intended to enhance the project and to aid in problem solving.

Having the opportunity to talk with the lead scientists on the project, getting a better understanding of the actual circumstances they sample and any challenges they encounter, was invaluable.

Other Projects and Successes

• I was a coach for the 2016 internationally Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEMs) Institut Pasteur Paris team of 20 students in a synthetic biology competition at Massachusetts Institute of Technology where we won 4 medals.

• I published a paper with my lab (Front. Microbiology, 26 August 2016 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2016.01294)

• I am currently working on a project developing generic primers to sequence the whole genome for all enteroviruses by next generation sequencing (NGS).

• I am also working on a collaborative pilot study with the CDC and the WHO Global Polio Eradication Initiative on NGS methods for polio surveillance.

• I am preparing an internal proposal and awaiting authorization to conduct a human gut virome project.

• I am also waiting on a project in Cameroon that we submitted for funding to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to conduct environmental surveillance, specifically targeting EV-A71 and EV-D68, which are causative agents of severe acute neurological and respiratory conditions in children.