Research connects student's interests in science and humanitarianism
“To me, research has always been personal,” said Katie Nicholas, ’10. “In high school, I did extensive research on multiple sclerosis because my grandmother has battled the disease for several decades. At Richmond, I’m interested in connecting my biochemistry research experience this summer with the time I spent volunteering at an AIDS clinic in Tanzania last summer.”
Nicholas, a biochemistry and molecular biology major, is spending the summer conducting research in chemistry professor Jonathan Dattelbaum’s lab on a summer research grant from the School of Arts & Sciences. She is exploring the symbiotic relationship between freshwater sponges and pigment-producing bacteria.
“My specific research attempts, via the creation of a fosmid library, to identify the gene clusters responsible for the production of the red pigment found in Cp101 bacteria. This bacteria is a species of Pseudoalteromonas that lives symbiotically with the sponge Clathria Prolifera,” said Nicholas.
Though her research topic is quite specific, Nicholas is confident that the techniques she employs in Dattlebaum’s lab will help her develop as a scientist as she moves toward her ultimate goal—returning to Tanzania.
Nicholas became passionate about eastern Africa after receiving a Carole Weinstein Grant through the Office of International Education during the fall semester of 2007. The grants, which are available to faculty, staff and students, support international study and projects conducted over the summer months. Nicholas was already a registered volunteer with Cross-Cultural Solutions (CCS), a non-profit that specializes in short-term international volunteer programs in 12 countries, and the grant provided the funding necessary to cover her expenses.
“I believe that international cooperation is an important component of humanitarian-focused scientific efforts, and the grant helped me investigate this in Tanzania,” said Nicholas.
She spent a month volunteering at the Uwawayaki Women’s HIV/AIDS Clinic in Majengo, a small village outside of Moshi, Tanzania. At the clinic, she assisted nurses and doctors on clinical and home visits with patients from the village. Uwawayaki Women’s HIV/AIDS Clinic is a facility dedicated to serving the medical needs of its patients as well as fighting the stigma that surrounds disease in the local community. In addition to assisting the medical staff, Nicholas taught English classes for a small group of patients at the clinic. On weekends, she volunteered at a nearby orphanage.
“The experiences that I had in Tanzania were heart-breaking, challenging, and rewarding,” she said. “They have certainly helped shape my plans for after graduation. My biochemistry and molecular biology curriculum has given me a real interest in medical research, and now I know that I want to pursue a career in that field, but within an international context.”