Adam Kley
Adam is currently a fourth-year medical student at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX, and is spending the year with his wife, Christine, doing research in Peru. They will be working on multiple projects during their time there, including helping to develop point of care tests for T. solium and T. saginata as well as completing a course in field epidemiology.
Adam has lead numerous medical mission trips to the colonias on the Texas-Mexico border during his time in medical school, as well as two international trips to Lima, Peru consisting of 40 students each from various health professions. He plans to continue participating and leading medical missions with his wife as they progress through their careers.
Outside of medicine, Adam graduated from Texas A&M University in College Station, TX with a degree in Applied Mathematics. This is where he developed a wide range of interests and hobbies ranging from photography to rock climbing and even ultralight backpacking. He is always ready for an adventure.
Project: "Impact of Fascioliasis among Children in the Peruvian Highlands"
August 1, 2016 - May 1, 2017
Peru
What does the Kean Fellowship mean to you?
Receiving the Kean Fellowship has been an amazing experience. It is an honor and I am humbled that I was chosen for it. Awards like this help motivate and drive students to step out of the mundane and seek the extraordinary. Finances can be a significant barrier to traveling abroad in medical school and anything that can help with that is appreciated. Being chosen for this is motivating me to do the best I can and take full advantage of my time abroad.
What do you anticipate learning?
This year will likely teach me more about myself than I can imagine. One of our goals is to become fluent in Spanish, which needless to say, is immensely useful in medicine, especially in Texas. I also am sure that I will learn more than I have previously forgotten about tropical and travel medicine though our research – and for studying for the certification exam in November. I also look forward to learning all about the culture and people of Peru. Lastly, I know I will learn a lot about marriage!
What interests you about tropical medicine and what problems are you interested in solving?
Tropical medicine is interesting because for so many of these diseases, if the people afflicted by them simply lived where I lived, it wouldn’t be an issue. That isn’t saying that where I live is amazing, but rather that tropical diseases seem to disproportionately affect the poor and needy of the world. I am interested in helping those without advocates in the world and reaching populations that are only dreamt of in other fields. I am interested in the impacts of tropical disease on nutrition and development.