2023 Undergraduate Summer Studentship
Project title: Characterization of benign ethnic neutropenia in children living with HIV
How would you describe your research project to someone without a scientific background?
Globally, there are 1.7 million children living with HIV (CLWH) and 150,000 new infections transmitted every year from mothers to their children (in utero, childbirth, or breastfeeding). African, Caribbean, and Black CLWH may have lower counts of a type of white blood cells called neutrophils. This comes without increased risk of infection and is termed benign ethnic neutropenia (BEN). However, BEN is poorly identified in Canadian clinical settings. This project aims to characterize BEN in a Canadian cohort of African, Caribbean, and Black CLWH. Comprehensive neutrophil ranges are necessary to reduce the need for unnecessary intervention in children with BEN and improve management of a systemically underrepresented group of CLWH in Canada.
What impact do you hope this project makes once completed?
By characterizing BEN in CLWH, we hope to stimulate research into comprehensive neutrophil count ranges and reduce the need for unnecessary interventions, particularly for African, Caribbean, and Black CLWH, thus improving management of a systemically underrepresented group in Canada.
How will the support from Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology help you?
Support from the LKSIoV gives me a foundation to continue pursuing research in virology. It gives me an opportunity to expand my professional network in a community with a shared interest in infectious diseases. Importantly, being in this environment allows me to learn about current and future research projects reflecting important points of focus in the field.
What is it about your field of study that speaks to you?
I started my research journey in a virology lab as an undergraduate student and have been passionate about virology since then. Virology investigations offer a unique opportunity to study virus-host relations and apply them to outcomes in a clinical setting. Currently, I am completing an MD with Special Training in Research (MD-STIR) with the goal of pursuing a career as a clinician-scientist. My interest is translating virology research to clinical practice.
What is your favorite distraction or hobby?
I am a frequent boulderer and rope-climber! I love going to the climbing gym with friends, along with some late-night drinks to de-stress.
If you could invite anyone — alive or dead, real or fictional — to dinner, who would it be?
Definitely Hayao Miyazaki. I grew up with Studio Ghibli movies and have been so inspired by the lessons they teach. I would love to chat with Hayao Miyazaki about what inspired his themes on sustainability and culture, which I think is an intersection that is important to consider, especially in a diverse country like Canada.