Science Journal Club Learns from Alumna

The Science Journal Club had a Zoom call with Dr. Onyinye Iweala '98, Assistant Professor of Medicine at UNC Chapel Hill and Director of the Mast Cell Disorders Program. The students read her article, Tick Salivary Gland Extract Induces Alpha-Gal Syndrome in Alpha-Gal Deficient Mice, which explores the biological mechanisms underlying Alpha-gal syndrome, a food allergy to mammalian meat triggered by Lone Star tick bites. During the Zoom call, students learned about Dr. Iweala’s research and her collaboration with other scientists using technologies like CRISPR. Dr. Iweala also discussed her path from NCS to her career in medicine, research, and teaching, as well as her experience leading her own lab.