The University of Southern Mississippi graduate, Britton Strickland has worked hard to further his research and education since being a member of the Class of 2015 Mississippi INBRE Research Scholars.
Britton said, his time as a Mississippi INBRE Scholar fostered a desire to focus on research throughout his undergraduate career. His work in the lab of USM’s Dr. Alex Flynt focused on miRNA biogenesis and exploring miRNA involvement in Zika virus infection.
Since completing his summer experience, he was awarded first place for his research presentation at the 2015 Southeast Regional IDeA Conference and second place at the 2016 Mississippi Academy of Sciences meeting. He was also invited to present his research at Posters on the Hill in Washington, D.C. In December of 2016, he graduated from The University of Southern Mississippi as the Honors College Standard Bearer, an honor awarded to the student with the highest GPA in the graduating class.
Today, Britton has begun to work on obtaining his doctorate degree at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. His current research uses bioinformatics to develop microbiome therapeutics for the treatment and prevention of human respiratory syncytial virus.
Britton said, “My summer internship taught me about the persistence and determination required of research scientists, and that this career requires overcoming failure daily. However, without this opportunity, I may have not seen the reward of my scientific endeavors that fueled my passion early on.”
Congratulations, Britton! We look forward to seeing where your research will take you in the future.