Keeping Community During a Pandemic
Researching COVID-19 Like so many people, Micaila Curtis ‘19 put her future plans on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but she has no regrets. She is among the many researchers in our country studying the COVID-19 virus and knows that her work will ultimately help people understand more about this new virus. Curtis is a research specialist at the University of California, Irvine. She is part of the research team at the UCI Messaoudi Lab studying the SARS-CoV-2 virus as well as the disease it causes, COVID-19. Dr. Ilhem Messaoudi is the principal investigator and received fast-track funding to begin studying the virus early on to expedite a response to the pandemic. After graduating from McPherson College with a Bachelor of Science in biology, Curtis planned to study for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and begin applying to medical school programs. “I had decided to wait to get more experience and build my resumé before applying to medical school and started working at the lab in early March,” Curtis said. “Then the pandemic hit and everything changed. I’m going to take an extra year before applying because this experience is so impactful. I can’t get what I am learning here from out of a book.” The lab is the ultimate classroom for Curtis. To keep pace with the pandemic-time research, she is working 11 hours a day during the week and three to seven hours most weekends. On an average day, the lab receives 40+ COVID-related samples. Curtis helps process these samples and then runs tests for analysis. The lab is involved with multiple surveillance studies, using model cell lines to understand the immune response in the lungs when infected with the virus, as well as analyzing clinical specimens of COVID-19 positive individuals to study how the immune response develops over time and its association with disease outcomes. “It is an intense workload for research, and everybody has taken on an enormous amount of work, including teaching me new things,” she said. “I love learning, and I think that is why I love research because you are constantly learning. For me, it is
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MCPHERSON COLLEGE MAGAZINE
Micaila Curtis ’19, second from the right, stands with other researchers after completing Biosafety Level 3 Laboratory training. According to Curtis, the photo illustrates the level of personal protective equipment (PPE) necessary to work in a level 3 laboratory.
exciting. I am learning outside of my realm and that is also rewarding. Sure I’m working more than 40 hours a week, but you won’t hear me complain about it.” As a student at McPherson College, Curtis said her instructors influenced and supported her future goals. “I had amazing mentors,” she said. “Dr. Manjula Koralegedara saw potential in me that I did not see and encouraged me to apply for the UCLA prep program. Dr. Frye and Dr. Wilgers helped get me into the labs and research, where I discovered how much I enjoyed it.” Curtis was one of only 25 undergraduates selected for the University of California, Los Angeles, Pre-Medical & Pre-Dental Enrichment Program. It is a six-week summer program that provided Curtis with study resources to help her prepare for