When Annabelle Smith came to West Virginia University, she knew she wanted to pursue a career in the medical field, but she wasn’t sure what her path would be. While working in the lab at the School of Medicine, she found her love for research.
“Uncovering new things and solving new problems every day is so exciting to me,” said Smith, a recent graduate of the Immunology and Medical Microbiology program. “I love seeing my work and results come together to answer my questions.”
One of Smith’s most meaningful experiences at the School of Medicine was conducting research with her mentor, Slawomir Lukomski, PhD, a professor in the Microbiology, Immunology & Cell Biology department and a researcher at the WVU Cancer Institute.
She worked with Dr. Lukomski on a project funded by the Department of Defense, developing a monoclonal antibody that recognizes Burkholderia, a genus of bacteria responsible for various diseases that has the potential to be used as a bioweapon since it is easily spread and has no available vaccine. The antibody they are developing is designed to protect against respiratory infections.
Smith presented her findings at the WVU Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, ultimately winning first place in the Health Science and Community Health category. She also presented at the Autumn Immunology Conference national meeting in Chicago.
“Being recognized at the WVU symposium felt like I proved to myself that I had been chasing the right path and that I was finally doing what I was meant for,” Smith said.
She added, “My experiences at WVU and especially in the IMMB program have given me such confidence and a thirst for knowledge. The program has small class sizes and very hands-on faculty. This has allowed me to connect with faculty members and has helped me develop into a much better professional.”
During her time at WVU, Smith acted as vice president of Sigma Alpha Iota, a music fraternity, where she planned events and participated in community service. She was also a member of the Mountaineer Marching Band, The Pride of West Virginia.
This fall, Smith plans to pursue her doctorate in Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis, one of the graduate programs in Biomedical Sciences at WVU. To pursue her graduate education and research, Smith was awarded a prestigious Ruby Distinguished Doctoral Fellowship by the WVU Foundation.
"Eventually, I hope to run my own lab to work on neglected diseases, but for now, I am just excited to jump into my Ph.D. project and get to work.”
WVU is one of only 146 colleges and universities to attain a ranking of R1, or very high research activity, by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The designation is the most elite category for research-focused institutions.
To learn more about the Immunology and Medical Microbiology program at WVU, visit medicine.wvu.edu/immunology-and-medical-microbiology.
