C.W. Post Graduate Student Researching Genetic Modification

Say the word "disease" and most people turn and run in the opposite direction. But for, Chaitanya Shilagani, 23, a graduate student in the School of Health Professions and Nursing at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, researching and learning about various illnesses, viruses and maladies is a chosen way of life.

When she graduated from Stony Brook University with a bachelor's in biology, Shilagani wasn't sure what she wanted to do with her career, so she chose to continue her education. She enrolled in C.W. Post's Medical Biology graduate program in the fall 2007 semester, choosing immunology as her specialization. She hopes to graduate with an M.S. degree in the spring 2009 semester.

"I've always been fascinated by diseases," Shilagani said. A full-time student, she has taken classes in pathophysiology, immunology and most recently bioinformatics, where she studied the different types of proteins in genes and how they affect current diseases such as cancer and diabetes. The class gives students the tools to analyze proteins, genes and genomes using computer algorithms and database, and uses computers to collect, analyze and interpret data collected at a molecular level.

"Genetics is a crucial part of current research," Shilagani said. "It connects everything together."

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the need for biological scientists is projected to grow through 2016 as biotechnological research and development continues to drive job growth.

Shilagani, who resides in Hicksville, N.Y., recently accepted a position at inGenious Targeting Laboratory in Stony Brook, N.Y. Eventually she would like to earn her Ph.D. in immunology.

For her graduate thesis, she is working with Dr. Ahmad Aljada studying insulin resistance. In this research, the connection between chemotherapy and insulin is established via several drug resistant cell lines.

Posted: July 15, 2008