Me vs Big New Research

Hi again everyone! I am back with another blog post and this time around I get to speak about my experiences on beginning my project. My start was a bit unconventional when it started in Summer 2022. I was gearing up for the summer after concluding my first year at Pitt and I desperately searched…

CURF – Targeting Immune Receptors to Treat Chronic Inflammation

Hello! I am Michael Pezzillo, a junior at Pitt majoring in chemical engineering and pursuing minors in bioengineering and chemistry. I conduct research within the Swanson School of Engineering’s Department of Chemical Engineering under the mentorship of Dr. Steven R Little, whose lab specializes in drug delivery and immunology. My project this semester focuses on…

Me vs ACE2, and HIV

Hello everyone! My name is Janet Kim and I am currently a sophomore majoring in Chemistry, minoring in Economics, and pursuing certificates in Global Health and Children’s Literature. I received the Chancellor Undergraduate Research Fellowship under Dr. Ivona Pandrea, who works in the Division of Experimental Pathology. My work started with her in the summer…

The Scientific Method

My experience as an undergraduate researcher has turned out to be an accumulation of experiences. I see the research process as puzzle I have been collecting pieces for over the years. It is clear to me now how throughout my four years at the University my experiences in lab rotations, research based class, and fellowship…

Becoming a Researcher: What makes a good scientist?

I was given the opportunity to shadow my current mentor where he saw kids that struggled with rheumatic disorders. I was pulled into the world of immunology research, after learning that his work extended into basic science research. Seeing the patients as well the science behind their conditions made me reevaluate the significance of basic…

The Effect of Chronic IL-18 exposure on Innate Lymphoid Cell.

Chronic excess IL-18 has ben well associated with autoimmune disease like SJIA, particularity the development of Macrophage Activation Syndrome. Children who are diagnosed with these diseases are known to often have dysregulation of their cytotoxic cells: CD8+ T cells, Natural Killer cells Innate Lymphoid Cells. In my project we want to understand the effect what…