Biology major Charlotte Dagli '25 and her mentor, biology faculty Efrain Rivera-Serrano, presented their research at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Immunologists in Honolulu, Hawaii. Their work aims at better understanding the anticancer properties of some viruses, and integrating that knowledge into the classroom.
Charlotte Dagli ’25 and Assistant Professor of Biology Efrain Rivera-Serrano received Travel Awards to present their research at the 108th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) in Honolulu, Hawaii on May 3 through May 7th.
Dagli presented the product of two years of research on the use of viruses to target and kill specific cancer cells. Her poster, titled “Oncolytic virotherapy and chemotherapeutic approaches against malignant fibrosarcoma,” explores the use of Reovirus as a therapeutic agent against a rare, soft tissue cancer that affects connective tissues such as tendons and ligaments. Her work demonstrates that certain variants of this virus,currently in clinical trials for common cancers such as breast and colorectal malignancies, are able to infect and kill human fibrosarcoma cells grown in vitro. In addition, she explored the potential of combining reovirus with common chemotherapeutic agents to maximize efficacy at minimal doses.
Rivera-Serrano also presented a poster, entitled “Development of Laboratory Modules in Virology Suitable for the Undergraduate Classroom.” His work is inspired by the American Society for Virology, which recently provided guidelines for lecture- and laboratory-based content for courses in virology. Despite the increasing rates of vaccine hesitancy, rampant misinformation related to infectious diseases and overall distrust in biomedical research, stand-alone courses that focus on the biology of viruses at the undergraduate level are uncommon across the globe. The research presented by Rivera-Serrano aims to develop laboratory activities for students at predominantly undergraduate institutions to better understand the unique biology of viruses and how these infectious agents interact with the host at the cellular level.
Dagli is the recipient of a 2024 Undergraduate Research Award from North Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities (NCICU) and participated in Elon’s 2024 SURE program. Upon graduation, Charlotte will join the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD as part of their Postbaccalaureate Program (PBP). Their research was sponsored by an Elon’s Hultquist Faculty Research & Development Award and the Undergraduate Research Program. Both Dagli and Rivera-Serrano received Undergraduate Faculty Travel Grants, sponsored by AAI, to support travel costs.