Dr. Danyvid Olivares-Villagómez and graduate student Kathleen McClanahan show off their paper snowflake-making abilities while we asked them some questions about their research.
Interested in their research? Read more here:
Granzyme B prevents aberrant IL-17 production and intestinal pathogenicity in CD4 + T cells
Video Transcript
Helen: On your marks, get set, go!
[VI4 Scientists Doing Things]
Kathleen: I’m Kathleen McClanahan, and I’m a third-year graduate student.
Danyvid: I’m Danyvid Olivares-Villagómez, and I’m an assistant professor.
[Q: How did you get into your area of research?]
D: I started working in this area of research in immunology because I generated, a few years ago, a mouse line that lacked a particular protein that expressed intestinal activity, and we wanted to know what effect that particular protein had on the immune system that is present in the intestines. So that is how I got into this area.
K: So, I was really interested in immunology from an immunology class I had taken before. So I rotated in Danyvid’s lab, and it was an entirely new experience for me working in immunology, so I decided that’s what I wanted to do.
[Q: What are your favorite summertime activities?]
K: I love making popsicles. I just can’t help it. When it gets hot outside, like when you’re sweaty, you want just like a nice cool popsicle.
D: I like walking in parks. I live very close to Warner Park, so I just go there and walk. It’s pretty nice.
K: Even when it’s a million degrees?
D: Well, you go into the shade, right? You go into the part that is all covered by trees, so it’s cooler.
D: Oh, wow!
H: There’s two. It’s like a magic trick
D: Mine is very primitive.
K: I’m going pink this time.
D: I’ll do orange.
[Q: How does your research impact human health?]
D: There’s a good proportion of the US population that is affected by these diseases, like Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis. What we do in the lab is try to understand the basic mechanisms of how the immune system may be involved in the development and maintenance of these diseases.
K: I’m particularly studying milk, so like human breast milk. Obviously, babies need food, right, so if we study what makes breast milk healthy for the babies then we can improve other nutrition products.
[Q: What is your favorite pathogen or immune cell?]
D: In particular, I’m interested in Trypanosoma cruzi. It’s an interesting disease. I studied it in the past when I was doing my Master, and I like it. I like the little parasite when you see it in the microscope, and it swims really nice. I don’t know, I just like it.
K: It’s nice, frilly.
D: It’s like a butterfly.
[Q: Oceans or Lakes?]
K: Oh, I’m oceans all the way.
D: Ya, I don’t like bodies of water that are contained. I think the ocean is more open and, for me, it’s a little bit cleaner.
[Q: How would you explain cytokines to your grandparents?]
K: I would say that cytokines are a kind of protein that help transmit information to your cells. A cell will send out a little piece of information in the form of a protein and another cell will receive it. Kinda like mail.
K: Oh, the triangles. Got something important right in the middle.
D: So, I’m doing the green, right?
K: Ya, you don’t have a green one yet.
[Q: If you could go back in time, what is one thing you would do differently in your career?]
K: I don’t know honestly. I’m pretty happy where I am.
D: Ya, I think I’m ok where I am right now. I think whatever I did, whether it was good or bad, had an impact that ended up with me at this level, so I’m ok with it.
K: I’m trying not to rip this into pieces.
D: Oh, that looks very nice. Almost like a snowflake.
K: Ya it kinda is, that wasn’t intentional.