Mary Chandler Gwin

Mary is a second-year medical student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. She received her Bachelor of Science from Yale University in New Haven, Conn., in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry. During her time at Yale, she worked in a biochemistry lab studying the relationship between noncoding RNA expression and lung tissue injury in asthma and cancer. Since starting medical school, she has become interested in the practice of tropical medicine. While most of her previous research experience has been in the lab, Mary is now engaging with clinical-based research projects, especially those that consider the social and economic factors influencing treatments and recovery times. Outside of school, Mary Chandler enjoys taking dance classes in the community and baking with friends. 

AMBITION-cm: AMBIsome Therapy Induction OptimizatioN
6/03/2019 - 07/18/2019
Malawi
 

What does the Kean Fellowship mean to you?
The Kean Fellowship will allow me to begin my exploration into the field of tropical medicine. By being on site, I will not only be able to work closely with the research team but also see the practice of clinical medicine by observing morning rounds.  This is an incredible opportunity that will help create a deeper understanding of how research can develop the field of tropical medicine within the bounds of practice. 

What do you anticipate learning?
With minimal experience in clinical research, I expect to learn a lot about the implementation of a phase three clinical trial. As the trial is in the early stages, I look forward to observing the many stages of this trial: from enrollment all the way to final follow-up phone calls. This trial was particularly intriguing to me as it is also gathering data to look at the potential economic benefits of a new treatment regimen. I hope to learn about how clinical trials can focus on the medical benefit while also remaining conscious of economic and social factors affecting access and responsiveness to treatment. I will also have the chance to see what the practice of tropical medicine looks like, as I will observe the care team managing the participants throughout the duration of the study. I anticipate that this experience will expand my clinical research capabilities and provide greater insight into the practice of tropical medicine.

What interests you about tropical medicine and what problems are you interested in solving?
I am interested in tropical medicine because of the complexity of pathogens found in the regions. The human body has an incredible immune system, and it’s unbelievable the way the body has been able to fight off or at least reduce complications from some of these pathogens. What is even more astounding, however, is the ways in which these pathogens continue to evolve and find new ways to evade the immune system. This back-and-forth between human systems and pathogens is what initially drew me to tropical medicine. I hope to learn more about the relationship between them and investigate treatments and interventions that can end the cycle. In particular, I am interested in finding ways to prevent and/or treat such intricate and pervasive pathogens that are economically feasible and practical in implementation.