Barbara Katiria Talavera Figueroa

Hello, my name is Barbara Talavera-Figueroa, and I am from the north coast of Puerto Rico. I graduated from the University of Puerto Rico, Arecibo Campus with a B.Sc. in Microbiology with a medical emphasis. Looking back on my childhood years, I have always admired the wonders of science that further sparked my curiosity to delve into the world of science and explore its limitless boundaries. During my undergraduate science courses and research experiences, I really wanted to know more about pathogens and how they have the potential to not only change the evolution of humanity, but also the course of history. Therefore, I came to realize the importance of understanding their pathogenicity in causing diseases and the urgent need to develop therapeutic interventions. However, during my undergraduate studies, I had very limited opportunities to pursue training in biomedical research which motivated me to apply to the NIH Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) at the University of Georgia, since it was aligned with my research interests in infectious diseases and provided me an extensive research experience. During my time at PREP@UGA, I joined Dr. Harvill’s lab within the Department of Infectious Diseases to study the bacterial pathogenesis of Bordetella spp. and their host-pathogen interactions using in vitro and in vivo models. Getting to work with this respiratory pathogen enhanced my interests in bacterial pathogenesis. Thus, I had the opportunity to join Dr. Tompkins’ lab at the Center for Vaccines and Immunology (CVI) to study bacterial and viral co-infections. My project was to establish an in vivo model to investigate the interactions between Streptococcus pneumoniae and influenza A virus, and to understand how an existing pneumococcal infection can change after a viral infection to cause respiratory tract disease. Overall, my experience in this program helped me gain confidence as a scientist, explore many aspects of bacteriology, and prepare for my transition to graduate school.

After PREP@UGA, I will begin my doctoral studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.