Caroline Williams earned her Ph.D. in Translational Biomedical Sciences through studies of two emerging viruses, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and Mengla virus, a newly identified filovirus.
By LaTina Emerson
When Caroline Williams moved across country to Atlanta to do her Ph.D. at Georgia State, she wanted to gain experience in researching emerging infectious diseases.
“I was really fascinated by Ebola at the time and these really highly pathogenic and emerging viruses,” said Williams. “The program itself got me to apply, but the research was a big selling point.”
A native of Stockton, Calif., Is now the first in her family to earn a Ph.D. and embark on a career in science. This summer she completed her Ph.D. in Translational Biomedical Sciences early in four years and became the first graduate of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences doctoral program.
Not afraid of a challenge, Williams finished her doctoral thesis on two emerging viruses, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 and Mengla virus, a newly identified pathogen in the filovirus family, under supervision her mentor Dr. Christopher Basler. Her research experience in high biosafety laboratories and publications in high profile scientific journals helped her earn a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Florida upon graduation. She is well on the way to a promising research career as a virologist.
Uncharted territory
Williams originally studied Ebola and Marburg viruses for her dissertation, but the pandemic and global race to understand SARS-CoV-2 shifted the focus of research. It was a challenge at first, but it managed to produce some exciting results.
“One chapter of my dissertation deals with the replication strategies of SARS-CoV-2,” said Williams. “During an infection, the virus induces structures for replication. We investigated which host factors are involved in the formation of these structures and whether we could target certain pathways to disrupt these structures and reduce the extent of viral replication.
“We found two main avenues that we investigated further to identify their relationship to replication, and we found that they are indeed good targets for disrupting virus production. We have identified VPS34 and fatty acid metabolism as targets for inhibiting SARS-CoV-2, ”she said.
Williams published these results in Cell Reports in July.
Her dissertation also focused on Mengla virus, a newly identified filovirus that was discovered in China in late 2018. She and her colleagues studied proteins in other filoviruses known to antagonize the human immune system and determined whether these proteins are used in Mengla virus to use similar mechanisms to potentially cause pathogenic human diseases.
Mengla virus was identified in a bat that many believe is the animal host for filoviruses. In the case of Ebola and Marburg viruses, disease has already been transmitted from bats to humans in order to cause diseases in humans.
“We wanted to see if Mengla virus could spread from bats to humans should we be concerned that it could cause serious human disease,” Williams said. “Filoviruses do this through their ability to switch off parts of the human immune response. We looked at the antagonistic function of three main proteins compared to their Ebola and Marburg counterparts, which we know to block the immune response.
“We found that the Mengla virus can antagonize the human immune system and turn off the human immune response.
Williams is the co-lead author of an article published in the Journal of Virology on this study in June 2020. In total, she contributed to eight publications during her doctorate.
Caroline Williams poses in her laboratory at the Petit Science Center. She is the first Ph.D. Graduated from Georgia State University’s Translational Biomedical Sciences program.
Pursuit of knowledge
Before coming to Georgia, Williams received her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and her master’s degree in molecular biology from the University of the Pacific. She felt comfortable with the non-traditional nature of the Ph.D. of the Institute for Biomedical Sciences. Program.
“We had science classes and learned the basic science we needed, but we could also see the business side of it and actually talk to people who went through the process of getting things into the clinic and making progress.” Science from one level to the next, ”said Williams. “I really enjoyed having this piece of it. This program covers business and law, and the transfer of biomedical discoveries from the workbench to the bedside is really important to know. “
Williams faced other unexpected challenges during her PhD, such as not being able to use an important microscope for almost six months because a new computer had to be shipped from France to support technological advancement. However, she believes her struggles were worth it.
“In order to really build up the basis for critical thinking that is so popular in scientific research and actually manage your own projects, you need this Ph.D. Background, ”said Williams. “Not only does it help me to become a better scientist, it also opens up additional career opportunities for me.”
Williams is drawn to biomedical research because of its potential long-term applications.
“They’re usually doing something that is clinically or public health relevant,” Williams said. “Knowing that it could one day make a difference is really a huge driving force behind my love of research. Biomedical sciences make this possible. It’s very relevant research. It is very useful research. “
