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Kevin B. O'Brien
As an undergraduate at the University of Colorado, Kevin O'Brien took molecular biology, immunology, virology, cell biology, developmental biology, genetics, and biochemistry—every science course he could. They prepared him academically for a smooth transition to graduate school.
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Kevin B. O'Brien
University of Colorado-Boulder
Boulder, Colorado
Current Institution: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Photo: David Nevala
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But O'Brien endured some rough times as an undergraduate. His mother was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder and became seriously ill, strengthening his desire to pursue research in immunology. Between a heavy academic load and family concerns, O'Brien felt he'd missed the chance to fully experience the daily life of a scientist, from teaching to writing grants and preparing manuscripts. So he decided to work for a year after graduation as a lab technician at the University of Colorado, where he cloned regions of regulatory DNA to test their control of gene expression. "I gained critical skills I needed for graduate school, and then I felt ready," O'Brien explained.
During his junior year, O'Brien, a native of South Korea, joined HHMI's Exceptional Research Opportunities Program (EXROP), which offers summer research experiences for disadvantaged and minority undergraduates in the labs of HHMI investigators or HHMI professors. He spent a summer working in the lab of HHMI investigator Richard Locksley, a microbiologist and immunologist at the University of California, San Francisco. In Locksley's lab, O'Brien examined cell-surface markers of innate immune cells that help regulate the body's response to infection.
Today, O'Brien, 23, is studying for a Ph.D. in microbiology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He chose the school for its faculty's breadth of experience and skill in immunology and pathogenesis. As a graduate student, O'Brien plans to study the viral pathogenesis of avian influenza virus, including its lingering effects on the immune system. "Given my personal background, I'm very interested in how acute and persistent viral infections may induce autoimmune disease later in life," he said.
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