• What is your area of research or scholarship? I am a Ph.D. candidate in microbiology and I work with respiratory viruses like colds and flus to study how our bodies protect us from them and how that protection can fail in people with Cystic Fibrosis.
• In simple terms, why does this research matter? Colds and flus are a seasonal annoyance for healthy people but in children with Cystic Fibrosis a simple cold can have devastating consequences. There is a critical need to understand how Cystic Fibrosis impairs your ability to fight the flu and how we can fight colds and flus better in the future.
• What is your degree program and expected graduate date? I am in my third year in the Ph.D. program in microbiology. I plan to graduate in 2020.
• Hometown: Las Cruses, NM
• Faculty mentor/advisor: Dr. Paul McCray
• What are your career goals? I hope to continue in academic research and discover better treatment options for colds and flus.

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