Ben Wieland
Ben Wieland is a graduating junior majoring in chemistry. He has had an interest in virology and bacteriology since middle school, and the research opportunities in Seattle and at the University of Washington provided an inlet towards learning more about these fields. Shortly after his freshman year at UW Ben began working at Dr. Alex Greninger’s virology lab in South Lake Union. Now, two years later, his research is focused on the bacteria T. pallidum, the etiological agent of the S.T.I syphilis. Specifically, his research lies in utilizing phage immunoprecipitation sequencing (PhIP-Seq) techniques for epitope-mapping T. pallidum-specific antibodies generated from various vaccine candidates in rabbits with the aim of enhancing vaccine efficacy.
His mentor, Dr. Greninger, and the numerous other research scientists at the Greninger Lab have been instrumental in building his knowledge in programming languages including R, python and bash, and wet lab techniques such as PhIP-Seq, cell culture and DNA sequencing.
The Mary Gates Research Scholarship and the Thomas Sedlock Icon Scholarship will reduce the pressures of tuition and thus allow Ben to devote more time to his research and ease the cost of applying to graduate school.
Outside of research and academia, Ben enjoys reading and origami. He has been a member of the climbing team at the UW throughout his college career, serving as varsity captain of the climbing team for the last two years.
Goals
Ben plans to take a gap year to focus on his research and build knowledge in virology and microbiology, then apply to graduate school for molecular and cell biology. He plans to pursue a career in virology, either in academia or industry.
Tips
Don't be afraid to talk about yourself, your aspirations and interests when applying. Spend time reflecting on what your research and your goals mean to you.
