Meet Nyaradzo "Nyari" Chigorimbo-Tsikiwa of the University of Cape Town (South Africa) in the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation and Division of Immunology. The early career fellow makes her first visit to the Laboratory to participate in the Proteomics course.

What are your research interests? What are you working on?
I am working on understanding how HIV transmission takes place in males in order to prevent its transmission. 

Was there something specific about the Imaging Structure & Function in the Nervous System course that drew you to apply? 
I applied to this course because I want to learn how to perform targeted proteomics and label-free quantification for use in biomedical research. I am happy to say that I have learnt both, as well as other methods including quantitative labeling from the method's inventor, Darryl Pappin.

What is your key takeaway from the course?
Proteomics is an exciting field with many possibilities and challenges; such as designing robust experiments that are reproducible especially for clinical applications.

If someone curious in attending your course asked you for feedback or advice on it, what would you tell him/her?
Anyone interested in understanding the history, present and future of proteomics should attend this course. It is a great place to learn new techniques and grow from others .

What do you like most about your time at CSHL?
I especially liked meeting different people from all over the world and in different stages of their academic careers. There was a great sense of camaraderie as a result of shared common experiences and frustrations, and the realization that our challenges and aspirations are the same regardless of our geography.

Nyari received a stipend from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to cover a portion of her course tuition. On behalf of Nyari, we would like to thank NICHD for supporting and enabling our young scientists to attend a CSHL course where they expand their skills, knowledge, and network. 

Thank you to Nyari for being this week's featured visitor. To meet other featured scientists - and discover the wide range of science that takes part in a CSHL meeting or course – go here.