Francis Khuong

Green Fellows project abstract:

Leishmaniasis is a neglected parasitic disease that puts nearly two million people a year in the tropics at risk of disfigurement or death. In its life cycle, the obligate intracellular parasite Leishmania spp. requires repeated uptake by phagocytes to allow sustained infection, but the mechanism of uptake is not well understood. During my time in the Green Fellowship, I made progress towards validating the results of a machine-learning based kinase inhibitor screen previously performed in the lab to identify host-cell kinases involved in the phagocytosis ofLeishmania spp. parasites by macrophages. Among the identified proteins, one of the more interesting determinations were the MAPK/ERK family kinases, which had not previously been implicated in this process and are now being studied by a graduate student in my lab. My goals are to validate additional hits from this screen so that we may further elucidate the biochemical mechanisms involved in the internalization ofLeishmania. Our lab's studies aim to identify and develop novel therapeutic treatments for leishmaniasis.

 

​​What does research mean to you? 

Research is an exciting experience that allows you to work at the frontier of human understanding. Working in research means that you are simultaneously expanding science and your own way of thinking. While it can be one of the most frustrating things you will ever do, it is also one of the most rewarding

 

Tell us about your journey​!

I came to UTD as a premed, but often felt these aspirations not satisfying. While medicine is a good cause, it also felt like it consumed my life and left me no room to explore. When I first joined a research lab (the Meloni Lab), I found myself able to express who I was through the science I conducted. I became hooked on research and knew that I needed to be involved with it no matter what I did in the future. After working with an MD/PhD through the Green Fellowship, I eventually felt clarified in my decision to pursue a career as a physician scientist. It is my hope that MD/PhD training will allow me to combine my passions for patient care with the scientific curiosity I am often consumed by, thereby facilitating my growth and impact on the world around me. In my gap year, I am working full-time in the lab I joined through the fellowship as a research technician and loving it!

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What was your favorite part about the program? 

My favorite part about this program was getting to meet so many people with so many varied interests. While researchers can sometimes be awkward, getting to know my lab-mates, PI, Stu, Deb, and the other Green Fellows allowed me to have a lot of fun while gaining new perspectives on science and life!

 

What was the biggest thing you learned from the program?

My biggest takeaways from this program have been learning to communicate both scientifically and interpersonally (both of which I am still improving on). Scientific communication is not easy, so it has been extremely valuable to learn how to make people care about what you are studying. Interpersonal skills are also a necessity in anything you do as they facilitate the acquisition of new experiences and perspectives. My time in the Green Fellowship has helped me learn to ask for questions/advice, communicate my perspectives, and how to work with others. 

 

Advice for Future Green Fellows

It is okay to be lost or confused. What matters is what you are doing to find your way.