PhD Candidate
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
I am Mikayla Murphree Terry, a PhD candidate at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. My motivation for a scientific career began when I took my first general microbiology class during my undergraduate education. Scientific research took on a new meaning to me once I completed this class, and my desire to thoroughly understand the world around me has since grown exponentially. During my time at Mississippi State University (MSU) in the lab of Dr. Heather Jordan, I conducted research that laid the foundation for my interest in pursuing a graduate education in biomedical science. My undergraduate work was heavily focused on employing genetic analyses to detect an infectious pathogen, Mycobacterium ulcerans, in environmental samples. M. ulcerans is the causative agent of Buruli ulcer, a neglected tropical chronic disease that can lead to permanent disfigurement and long-term disability for the thousands of individuals affected each year. My undergraduate research experience provided me with backgrounds in microbiology and genetics while sparking an interest in probing deeper into host-pathogen interactions. I became specifically interested in advancing therapeutics and medical interventions to improve the health outcomes for individuals burdened by chronic diseases. When I began my doctoral training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), I knew that I wanted to work in a lab that would support my interests. I began my first rotation in the lab of Dr. Susan Birket, an expert in cystic fibrosis (CF), and I was immediately confident that this was the lab in which I wanted to receive my doctoral training. My current work in Dr. Birket’s lab combines my interest in bacterial pathogenesis with my desire to contribute to clinically relevant disease outcomes, permitting me to investigate host-pathogen interactions in vivo. My primary research project as a PhD candidate focuses on investigating the interactions between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and aberrant CF mucus during colonization and development of chronic infection. The goal of my graduate education and training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham is to enhance my understanding of CF itself while also pushing the dial a little further on what is currently known about P. aeruginosa and mucus interactions in the CF lung. I am well suited for CF research, not only due to my prior research experience, but also because I have a personal connection to the disease – my cousin was diagnosed with CF shortly after birth. Thus, my personal and professional connections to this research topic will fuel me to be a competitive and successful graduate trainee in this field. Over the nearly three years working with Dr. Birket, I have developed a comprehensive arsenal of skills in genetics through the employment of gene silencing as well as the genetic manipulation of P. aeruginosa. I have also honed my ability to assess host outcomes and underlying disease pathophysiology. These skills will position me for success as a graduate student trainee and provide me with the foundation necessary to become a competent, independent researcher. The long-term goal for my scientific career is to become the principal investigator of my own research lab, with the research focus on emerging bacterial pathogens and their impact on host disease outcomes. I hope to use this position to contribute to making the STEM field more accessible to first-generation college students and students from low-income families, as I am a member of both groups. After I finish my doctoral degree, I plan to pursue a postdoctoral research position that will aid in my transition to a faculty position at a university with a clinically relevant biomedical research focus.