Jordan D

- Research Program Mentor

Project ideas

Invisible Giants: Exploring the World of Viruses

Guided by a mentor who has previously engineered viruses into potential anti-cancer therapies, this is an exceptional opportunity for an enterprising student to dive into learning about the world of virology ― a cutting-edge scientific field that holds the key to many of tomorrow's medical breakthroughs. Embarking on this project with JD means the student has unparalleled access to a virology expert while directing their own project on whatever aspect of viruses they'd love to explore including ― but not limited to ― a) the unique infective properties of different viral classes; b) their mutational evolution; c) the molecular dance they play with the immune system; and d) how viruses ultimately impact public health. Over the 10 sessions with JD, the student will select a virology topic of interest and conduct background studies through secondary research ― including PubMed, Wikipedia & Google searches ― to gain mastery of that unique topic. This work will be aimed at preparing for the submission either of a review paper for publication or a Medium / Substack article with JD's feedback. As a teaser of how a student will leverage their burning curiosity to tackle the questions regarding viruses they've always had, imagine a friend recently told you the common myth that the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) emerged after infecting a human who directly interacted with a monkey. Instead of just accepting that assumption, however, you'll have JD to assist in helping you craft a project studying the origins of HIV-1, learn about the process of viral transmission across species & relate that knowledge directly to the history of the global HIV-1 pandemic to arrive at your own conclusions as a junior virologist investigating these invisible giants.