Ventures Winter 2020-2021 | Page 23

WITH COURAGE , CARE
SU nurses on the frontlines : Regina Nicoli ’ 21 , Avery Wrigley ’ 18 , and Gary Pyner ’ 17 . Wrigley blogged about her work during the early months of the pandemic for Greater Baltimore Medical Center . Nicoli and her aunt , who both work as nurses at University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center , were featured on Fox News Baltimore for their work with COVID patients .
from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 . The plasma can then be transfused to current COVID patients to confer passive immunity and provide a faster recovery . “ COVID-19 has presented many challenges around blood supply shortages and inventory management , as well as developing protocols for use of investigational convalescent plasma for patients ,” explains Moorhouse . “ We have tremendous support of our medical directors and administration , which has really made working during the pandemic much easier .”
MLS alumni are also making an impact at Johns Hopkins Hospital , where 2019 graduate Charly Dadjeu is working in the Molecular Microbiology Department , which performs more than 1,500 COVID-19 tests per day . Jeemin Kim , also from the class of 2019 , is working in the hospital ’ s Immunology Laboratory , and 2020 graduates Logan Pretty , Jamie Murphy , Kyle Johnson , and
Bailey Martini are working in Microbiology , Special Chemistry , and Flow Cytometry , respectively . While the lab workers aren ’ t working directly with patients , their work is vital during the pandemic — a sentiment expressed by Asia Robinson , who graduated in May 2020 with a B . S . in Biology and is currently pursuing an M . S . degree in Forensic Investigation from Stevenson . Robinson also works as a clinic lab assistant for a testing company , where she helps test more than 22,000 samples on a day-to-day basis . “ Sometimes it can feel overwhelming and even devastating — but most importantly , I focus on the reality that someone ’ s life is in my hands and they are depending on me to give them the results of a COVID-19 test .”
Those tests are absolutely critical in the fight against COVID , Robinson notes — not only for individual patient care but for public health . “ It is truly an honor to do what I do .” SU
While our article cannot mention every Villa Julie and Stevenson student and alum serving in the fight against COVID-19 , this story is meant to salute all of our graduates , students , faculty , friends , and family members serving others during this global pandemic . You are heroes and you are Mustangs . Thank you !
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