Chloe Adrienna Talana is a postbac in the Virology Core Section of Virology Laboratory at the Vaccine Research Center (VRC). Now in the second year of her postbac, Chloe has been researching SARS-CoV-2 variants and is currently working on HIV-1 treatment antibodies. Read this interview with Chloe where she details her postbac research experience as part of a collaborative lab and find out about her future plans as a research scientist.
Tell me about your research and how it contributes to NIAID’s mission.
I started my postbac at the VRC in August 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our lab was at limited capacity, but I was lucky that between our small team, I was able to remain productive by coordinating an alternate schedule with the other postbac in my group.
When I first started, my project focused on COVID-19. I was tasked with investigating the impact variants in the SARS-CoV-2 virus are having on their recognition by vaccine-induced antibodies. This was an exciting project as I could contribute to a highly relevant research study and be part of a large team of experienced researchers—I was gratified to see how my data contributed to the main figures of the project’s published manuscript. Aside from my work on SARS-CoV-2, I am also involved in some HIV-1 studies at VRC. Specifically, I am leading an animal study that aims to determine ways of reducing the appearance of anti-drug antibody responses in rhesus macaques infused with HIV-1 treatment antibodies.
What have you enjoyed most about being a postbac at the VRC?
When I interviewed for my postbac position, I had a good feeling that I was going to thrive in this environment. I knew mentorship was a fundamental aspect of learning and of a great research training experience. My direct supervisor, Amarendra Pegu, Ph.D., is an outstanding mentor and creates an environment that allows for one-on-one interaction. We meet weekly to speak about my experiments—what I’ve done, what the data is telling me, and what my plan is for the upcoming week. We also have team meetings with my direct group and larger weekly lab-wide meetings with around 40 people. Being part of these meetings has been pivotal to my success: I get to ask questions and listen to other members of my lab speak, allowing me to gain an understanding of the lab’s bigger research picture.
"I can clearly tell that everything I work on matters and know that my contribution is significant even though it’s a small piece of a much larger puzzle"
- Chloe Adrienna Talana, Postbac Fellow
As part of the Virology Laboratory, I can clearly tell that everything I work on matters and know that my contribution is significant even though it’s a small piece of a much larger puzzle. I also recognize that I’m just part of one lab in the much larger ecosystem of the VRC. With that, I love the collaborative culture at the VRC and how we can pull expertise from across the Center and within NIAID—this is shown by the number of authors on our papers!
Why did you choose to pursue a postbac?
During my undergraduate, I thought I would simply graduate and set off to medical school. My plans changed when I realized that medicine wasn’t my only interest. I decided to explore research and gain more experience in the lab before making the choice between pursuing an M.D., M.D./Ph.D., or Ph.D. I knew NIH was going to be a great place to spend this time and make this decision.
What are your future plans and how has your postbac prepared you?
I am applying for graduate school this fall and plan to conduct Ph.D. research focused on viral immunology. My time of exploration changed my mind from pursuing medical school to graduate school. I’ve always wanted to help others and thought training to become a physician was the clear path forward. As I was exposed to lots of career paths here at NIH, I realized how biomedical research can make a wide-scale impact and have far-reaching outcomes.
What resources have contributed to your success?
I attended many of the events taking place around campus (albeit virtually). I took advantage of the Office of Intramural Training and Education’s Pre-Medical Program before making my choice between graduate school and medical school, and now I attend the biweekly graduate school Q&A sessions. I also attended some of the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences classes where I experienced what real graduate school classes are like. Additionally, I attend the VRC Speaker Series that takes place every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Do you have any advice for those thinking about doing a postbac at NIAID?
Do it! It’s an opportunity of a lifetime and will mold you into the scientist you want to be in the future. Being immersed here at the center of biomedical science, you will be surrounded by like-minded individuals who will inspire and push you to achieve your goals. I know when I look back, I’ll be glad I did a postbac at the VRC.