I perform laboratory work in virology in a BSL-2 environment including cell culture maintenance, virus culturing and isolation, and viral titration assays. I also prepare specimens for electron microscopy. I develop research protocols and performs applications required for specific research projects. I ensure quality control of laboratory procedures, that includes test validations. I evaluate and analyzes data and provides reports on requested timelines. I maintain an accurate, up-to-date, organized, and legible lab notebook. I conduct literature searches and summarizes information in an appropriate format. I aid in maintenance of lab equipment and environment, and I train undergraduate and collaborating graduate students in cell culture maintenance and virus titration assays.

Traveled to New Hampshire for a 3-month assignment at a community hospital to assist on a medical/surgical telemetry unit.

I assisted Dr. Ghiladi and Dr. Scholle to create a broad-spectrum antimicrobial wound bandage that will have a photodynamic mode of action. I assisted with formulating and designing the bandage. I cultured, isolated, and identified bacteria and I tested the materials against clinically important bacterial strains such as a MRSA, MDRAB, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a BSL-2 environment. I presented my work at weekly team meetings. I also prepared media solutions, assisted with maintaining lab inventory, and troubleshooted laboratory equipment. Funding for this position ended in March 2023.

Clinical Nurse II in the adult medical/surgical float pool. -Routinely perform accuchecks, injections, vaccinations, intravenous placement, EKGs, dressing changes, and collect blood, sputum, and other specimens, and prepare them for laboratory testing.-Maintain thorough patient records and update the healthcare team on patients’ status.-Adhere to strict aseptic techniques when performing invasive line and wound care and adhere to infection prevention policies.

I gained experience in virus handling and cell culture in a BSL-2 environment. I tested formulations of antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation (aPDI) photosensitizers applied to commercially available materials for efficacy against enveloped and non-enveloped viruses such as human coronavirus 229E, adenovirus, and feline calicivirus. I also tested concentrations of a bioactive fraction of a platelet-rich plasma for antiviral activity against HCoV-229E. I am included as an author on papers that were published to Photochemical & Photobiological Science (Jiang et al., 2023) and to Viruses (Frias-De-Diego et al., 2022). I trained two additional undergraduate students in cell culture maintenance and virus titration assays.

Participated in an honors research project and internship studying factors affecting microalgae growth under Dr. Kimberly Fishback and N.C. State post-doctorate fellow, Dr. Karen O’Connell. Presented my poster, The Effects of Paper Type on Dunaliella salina Growth, at the North Carolina Academy of Science Annual meeting held at the Wake Technical Community College (March 2018). Awarded the 3rd place Deriuex Award in Microbiology.