This series spotlights the amazing students in the YSPH Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases (EMD) program. This month, we focus on students researching infectious diseases in different labs in the department. Here, PhD student Nicole Feriancek tells us about the program and some of her exciting research in the Vogels and Grubaugh Labs.
EMD Student Spotlight series: Nicole Feriancek
Please tell us a little about yourself and what inspired you to pursue a PhD in the EMD Department at the Yale School of Public Health?
Nicole: I am fascinated with pathogens that must adapt to multiple hosts while facing different immune pressures and yet needing to maintain a multi-host life cycle. These are often insect-borne diseases, and there are many prolific labs at the Yale School of Public Health that study these fascinating pathogens.
What is the current focus of your research?
Currently, I use genomic sequencing to study West Nile virus ecology and evolution. I can use the differences between West Nile virus genomes to identify their common ancestors and their movement throughout space and time. I plan to use this to track West Nile in Connecticut and see what drives its spread.
What are some of the most significant findings or innovations from your infectious diseases research?
I am sequencing over 3,000 samples of West Nile virus in Connecticut, creating the densest dataset for the virus to date. Having this robust dataset from the past 26 years will allow me to examine the virus’ ecology in more depth than ever before, and I can’t wait to see what trends emerge.
Which emerging trends or technologies in your area of infectious diseases research do you find most exciting?
I am excited by the expansion of sequencing capacities in the years after COVID-19. When we sequence more samples of a pathogen, we are better able to characterize it and discover the ways that it survives to infect people. Deeper sequencing across a variety of understudied pathogens will provide countless insights that can be used to combat diseases.
Where do you see your field of infectious diseases research heading in the next few years, and what role do you hope your work will play in this future landscape?
In the years that follow, I see my work examining the evolution that West Nile virus is undergoing to identify current and future threats. I hope that my work is able to showcase the importance of understanding the genomes of the pathogens we work with, so that we are better able to understand and combat them.
The amazing and attentive faculty of the EMD Department have advised me on my projects and exposed me to a variety of techniques
Nicole Feriancek
How has the EMD Department supported your research and academic goals?
The amazing and attentive faculty of the EMD Department have advised me on my projects and exposed me to a variety of techniques, both in the lab with mosquitoes and on the computer with cutting-edge technologies.
What advice would you give to prospective students considering applying to the EMD training programs at Yale?
Be open to new directions! There are so many amazing labs at Yale, and you may find yourself drawn to a topic you never thought you would be. Follow your curiosity, and you will never be disappointed.