Clarisel is a summer research intern participating in the Brigham & Women’s Division of Infectious disease Brigham Research in Infectious Disease and Global Engagement (BRIDGE) program. The Bridge program is an 8-week summer fellowship program that provides development in clinical and basic research skills in the field of infectious diseases, building a bridge to careers in medicine, public health, infectious disease research, and administration. The long-term goal is to assist underrepresented persons in building essential skills for their future careers.

Clarisel received a B.A from the University of North Carolina, where amongst her many research experiences she investigated the role of Microtubule Acetylation during Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and analyzed fluid dynamics in viral transmission from human expiratory activities. Clarisel is working closely with post-doctoral fellow Laura Murray-Nerger to characterize a novel host factor in control of the EBV lytic switch.

Nina received a BS Biological Sciences and a BA in Spanish Language and Literature from the University of Maryland. She then moved to the Midwest to pursue a PhD in  Molecular Genetics and Genomics at Washington University in St. Louis.  Her doctoral studies with Jacqueline Payton and Daisy Leung used ChIP-seq, biochemical and informatic approaches to characterize human respiratory syncytial virus non-structural protein NS1 nuclear roles in modulation of gene transcription.

Brenda joined the Gewurz lab in 2021 after recently graduating from Trinity College with a double major in Biology and Public Policy & Law. Brenda pursued her undergraduate research in the Toscano lab at Trinity, where she focused on invertabrate ecology.