Going viral

Just to provide some background, the first 2 weeks of the LAGNiAppE program consisted of research bootcamp, followed by a week attending the Evolution conference in Montreal, Canada, followed by one more week of research bootcamp prior to joining our individual labs and embarking upon our research projects (I'm not entirely sure embarking is the right word in this context, but it feels right so just go with it). For the first three weeks, no one knew which mentor they were paired with, so it was pretty scary for someone like me who likes to know what is going on at all times.

Anyhow, I am now writing firmly from the second half of the last week research bootcamp, so that means I know which mentors I have been paired with. Drumroll please ...

Dr. Jeremy Brown and Dr. Rebecca Christofferson!

See their websites below for your own exploration:

https://phyleauxlab.github.io/

https://www.xoffersonlab.com/

None of the other scholars have co-mentors, nor have I ever had co-mentors, so I am not entirely sure what to expect but I am excited nonetheless. As per the wording in the email I had received notifying me of who my mentors are, "This pairing will give Caitlin the opportunity to explore her interests, as Dr. Christofferson is an expert in the emergence and transmission of viruses, while Dr. Brown offers a strong sense of community within the Department of Biological Sciences and will work closely in the project." I still do not know what my project is yet, but I am really pleased with these mentors and am super excited to get started hopefully learning more about viruses.

I guess I was a little too excited to learn more about viruses though, because I also have COVID right now, so I guess I am getting a little first hand refresher course on viruses. Yay! (sarcasm) I was going strong not having COVID following the Evolution conference in spite of 5 people I know of contracting COVID after attending the conference (no harm, no foul on behalf of them or the Evolution conference, unfortunately this is the nature of extremely large gatherings such as an international conference on an incredibly broad topic). However, I got that Friday off from work (originally supposed to be Thursday and Friday but due to travel delays I got back on Friday) and then promptly boarded another plane, flew home, got home at 1:00 am and then spent ~24 hours at home before getting in my '06 Mini Cooper (Mr. Cooper) and drove to Louisiana from Rhode Island with my dad. I truthfully think that last part just put too much of a strain on my body because even though driving seems likes just sitting in one spot for however long, it actually requires a great deal of mental concentration and effort for me and is quite fatiguing. Had I not driven, I might have been fine, but I am fortunate to be able to participate via Zoom and for an understanding program coordinator who is allowing and encouraging me to take the time to rest and recover.

Anyway, I have been taking this time to 1.) sleep and 2.) look into different grad schools accepting graduate students 3.) sleep.