Lucas Buyon
Tell us about your role at NIAID and what a typical day at work looks like for you?
I am a presidential management fellow (PMF) assigned to NIAID. In this role, I spend two years rotating throughout NIAID in various offices that match my interests. My broad professional interest is in pandemic preparedness and response. Because I rotate offices every three months my typical workday changes—one month I might be working as program officer overseeing grants, the next month I might be working in the Division of Clinical Research on research projects abroad, and a few months later I might be working on pandemic preparedness strategy. The ever-changing nature of my job keeps the day-to-day always exciting!
What is your favorite part of your job? What excites you most about coming to work?
I love how my work at NIAID has a direct and tangible benefit to advance science and public health. I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to contribute to NIAID’s legacy and mission, research pathogens and the immune system, and translate those findings into policy for the common good.
Are there any special or unique projects that you are working on?
I helped organize and conduct an NIAID-sponsored workshop alongside CEPI, the Gates Foundation, and the Wellcome Trust on mucosal vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. It was exciting to see scientists from around the world convene virtually to discuss the science behind and advances in developing mucosal vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. This workshop synthesized the state of science of the field and, its summary was published in NPJ Vaccines: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41541-023-00654-6.
Tell us about your career journey
I first became fascinated by infectious diseases and public health after reading Richard Preston’s “The Hot Zone” and Tracy Kidder’s “Mountains Beyond Mountains” when I was in high school. I went to Emory University for my bachelor of science in biology, in part because of the school’s excellent undergraduate public health program and connections with public health agencies, like the CDC, and NGOs, like The Carter Center. I worked at the Carter Center for two years in undergrad as a research assistant working on projects related to the control of trachoma and onchocerciasis, two diseases of poverty that can cause blindness. I also worked at the Rollins School of Public Health as a research assistant studying the epidemiology of bacterial meningitis in the Atlanta area. I also completed a master of science degree at The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where my thesis focused on using mathematical models to study the transmission of HIV and syphilis among men who have sex with men in Baltimore. During my master’s degree, I realized my interest was specifically in understanding how infectious diseases evolve and spread through populations. I completed my Ph.D. in the Biological Sciences in Public Health Program at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health where I studied how to apply large-scale genomic datasets, evolutionary biology, and molecular biology techniques to understand the epidemiology and development of drug resistance in the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium vivax. I was selected as a presidential management fellow finalist in the last year of my Ph.D. in 2022, and after graduating from Harvard in May of 2022, I joined NIAID in July 2022. While at NIAID, I have rotated in the Office of Global Research, the Virology Branch within the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID) on the Centers for Research in Emerging Infectious Diseases (CREID), the Division of Clinical Research, and with the DMID Pandemic Preparedness coordinator, Dr. Jane Knisely. I recently completed a six-month detail at Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy (GHSD) at the State Department. I am currently completing my last rotation in the NIAID front office. I will then convert into a permanent position in late July 2024.
How has NIAID helped your professional growth, development, and career goals?
NIAID has helped expose me to a range of opportunities that have enabled me to learn how to apply scientific research to policy. My PMF experience at NIAID has helped me gain experience as a policymaker and taught me to apply my scientific training to pressing scientific and public health problems.
What are some benefits at NIAID that you enjoy?
I enjoy how NIAID supports training opportunities for me to take advantage of! For example, I was able to complete a training on Capitol Hill about how Congress and the ecosystem around it functions. NIAID, and the NIH in general, always have conferences and scientific talks going on, which are great to take advantage of to keep abreast of the latest research.
Do you have any advice to offer others who might be considering working at NIAID?
The folks working at NIAID are generally a friendly bunch; don’t be afraid to reach out to learn about our work!
Is there any other interesting information you would like to highlight?
I love to cook, and especially learn about the science of cooking. I also am an active tennis player!
Reference to Relevant Program Content
NIH Presidential Management Fellows Program
Lucas Buyon and Dr Marrazzo