My career in science—one that focuses on understanding and defeating the influenza virus—originates from a gift my aunt gave me when I was 9 years old and living in Argentina. It was a chemistry set. I had always been curious about how things worked, but conducting experiments with that set was the first time I considered being a scientist.
You could say that science equipment set me on this path.
Maybe it’s no surprise, then, that I was drawn to a university that offers state-of-the-art core facilities and equipment to researchers.
My research today focuses on how influenza viruses change and evolve to transmit from host to host. My lab at the University of Georgia meticulously maps molecular alterations linked to influenza virus transmission. Understanding transmission helps us develop better strategies to prevent and control outbreaks. I also work on developing new vaccines and antivirals to protect both animals and humans against influenza. Ultimately, this research is inspired by the One Health approach, which acknowledges the intricate link between human, animal, and environmental health.
My work requires innovation and rigor, but the significant breakthroughs in this field need the latest technologies. UGA equips its researchers with specialized tools and services, enabling pioneering work and bolstering research capabilities.
UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine’s Animal Health Research Center provides me with a cutting-edge high-containment laboratory and workspace.
Other UGA resources that boost my work include:
• the Biomedical Microscopy Core,
• the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center,
• the Cytometry Shared Resource Laboratory,
• the Georgia Advanced Computing Resource Center,
• the Georgia Electron Microscopy Core,
• and the Georgia Genomics and Bioinformatics Core.
That 9-year-old Argentinian boy with the chemistry set had big dreams, but even he couldn’t imagine the kinds of tools and the quality of colleagues I work with today.
