There are some things that just can’t be separated. Questions need answers. Effects need causes. Innovation needs research.
Research was at the foundation of the Innovation Quarter’s inception and now serves as the roots of a thriving innovation district, making the iQ a leader in regenerative medicine and life sciences.
Research takes a vast group of scientists–in many roles–working together to make scientific discoveries. In addition to the lead researchers we often hear about, there are a host of other scientists, undergraduate and graduate students, technicians, assistants, data analysts, and other critical staff for research to progress. These individuals are some of the unsung heroes of research in the iQ.
These behind-the-scenes experts are the gears keeping innovation in motion for academic organizations like the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) and Winston-Salem State University (WSSU), as well as the private companies like Mercodia that make up the larger network of research and development focused entities in the iQ.
There are many individuals who fill these vital roles in the iQ. The stories of the three heroes in this article underscore the revolutionary work the research community in the iQ does to impact quality of life in the Winston-Salem community and around the globe.
Justin Campbell, Third Time’s the Biotech Charm
Being a PhD student conducting research in the labs at WFIRM is Justin Campbell’s third career–and he’s not letting the opportunity go to waste.
Before joining WFIRM, an institute within Wake Forest University School of Medicine that has pioneered research into tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications, Campbell served in the U.S. Air Force and then spent time as an entrepreneur in the cleaning and restoration industry.
“My family started with carpet cleaning and expanded into disaster restoration,” Campbell says. “And that led to commercial construction.”
The Winston-Salem native started his unlikely journey into biotech and explored his dream to be a scientist at Forsyth Technical Community College after losing interest in the family business, a decision that ultimately landed him in WFIRM’s Molecular Medicine and Translational Science program.
“Science was something I always had my eye on, but convinced myself I couldn’t be a scientist because I struggled with math when I was young,” Campbell says. “The biotech program [at Forsyth Tech] showed me I was wrong about myself.”
While studying at Forsyth Tech, Campbell interned at WFIRM in the iQ, which translated into a job as a research technician after graduation. He worked alongside senior researchers performing lab procedures, maintaining equipment, assisting with experiments, and collecting and organizing data.
During the time that he worked as a research technician at WFIRM, Campbell also enrolled in WSSU to finish his bachelor’s degree, transitioning from technician to PhD student at WFIRM after graduation–this time to pursue his own research.
Campbell’s doctoral research investigates the pre-symptomatic stages of influenza. He’s investigating how the body indicates it’s sick before exhibiting symptoms. It is like developing a time-lapse of biomarkers, which could eventually help doctors test individuals and determine, not only if they’re sick, but also where they are in the cycle of the virus. He hopes his research might one day translate into a test that can be used by the general public.
“For example, if a coworker leaves work and gets diagnosed with the flu, the office can use a point-of-care test to determine if they contracted the virus before they feel sick,” Campbell says. “They can quarantine and seek medical intervention, helping themselves and containing an outbreak sooner.”
Campbell believes that this kind of test would be particularly helpful for immune-compromised individuals and communities, like hospitals, nursing homes, and–personally for Campbell–his son Logan.
“Because Logan is a Type 1 Diabetic, he can struggle with illnesses more than usual,” Campbell says. “I know there are people out there, like my son, where a common sickness can compound into a comorbid situation, and this could get them treatment faster.”
On the cusp of innovation, Campbell feels like he fits in perfectly, making his childhood dream of being a scientist a reality.
Kavya Dhital, From Mushrooms to Microbiology
Today, Kavya Dhital is a bioanalytical scientist for Mercodia, a global immunoassay development and manufacturing leader located in One Technology Place. However, her interest in microbiology began as a high school student in Nepal, and she remembers the exact moment when she was hooked.
“In the tenth grade, we had a chapter on fungi, and we examined mushrooms,” Dhital says. “During the lecture, my teacher said, ‘We all start as unicellular organisms,’ and that idea blew my mind.”
She decided to study biology for her bachelor’s degree and focused on microbiology in graduate school. While Dhital was preparing for her graduate program internship in 2020, everything shut down due to COVID-19. But it also led her to her first job in the industry.
“I was sitting at home, frustrated, watching the number of cases increase, knowing I was very skilled and willing to work,” Dhital says.
She knew she had the skills to help with PCR testing, which doctors use to diagnose infectious diseases like COVID. She wanted to help address the problems plaguing her community and loved working in microbiology. She emailed the CEO of Intrepid Nepal, a biotechnology company assisting with the nation’s pandemic response. The gist of her message was “Let me work.”
“He invited me to come in for an interview. That’s how it all started,” Dhital says.
At Intrepid, she extracted genetic material and performed COVID tests until she got another opportunity with BioVac, which is Intrepid’s sister company, as a quality control officer.
Then, in 2023, Dhital switched jobs–and continents–when she moved to the United States for love. At the time of their engagement, her husband was located in the region, and they decided to start their life here, which meant finding a new job for Dhital. She stumbled onto the North Carolina Biotechnology Center’s website, North Carolina’s life science economic development engine, which led her to the job at Mercodia.
The company is headquartered in Sweden, but recently opened 800 square-feet of wet lab space in One Technology Place. Dhital’s role at Mercodia involves analyzing metabolic samples from pharmaceutical companies taken during clinical trials, building on her previous quality control position.
Dhital’s role is vital to the company’s mission because her team is assisting with bringing a medical product to market. Her team also evaluates diabetic-related medicines on the market for potential enhancements. While she isn’t privy to which brands and companies the samples are for (to ensure fairness), Dhital enjoys knowing her role helps ensure quality medicines are available to society.
“We blindly analyze the samples, but based on our reports the medicine could come into someone’s life and affect them positively,” Dhital says.
What intrigued Dhital about cells in a mushroom as a young student, led her from working through her nation’s COVID response to moving to America to analyze medical samples. And the excitement she expressed then, she still carries now.
“Microbiology is awesome,” Dhital says.
Michael McNeil, The Next Generation of Cell Biologist
Michael McNeil is a 19-year-old research assistant for WSSU’s Biomedical Research Infrastructure Center (BRIC). BRIC, which is located in the Piedmont Triad Community Research Center in the iQ, conducts biomedical and translational research into diseases like heart disease and cancer.
McNeil’s research is unique in that his major project is a joint venture between BRIC and WFIRM, so he has the opportunity to collaborate and use facilities across both organizations, which are conveniently located next door to each other.
“I assist my lab supervisor with just about everything, including finding materials, recruiting and training personnel, and working with the lab technicians to streamline our processes,” McNeil says.
McNeil works in a cell biology lab. His projects pertain to how scientists study cells and what affects human cells. Cell labs require specific maintenance to ensure each set of cells remains viable through testing, a job that McNeil is responsible for on a daily basis.
“It’s like raising a set of children. They need to be fed, cleaned, and maintained in the right environment to avoid contamination,” McNeil says.
One of his projects links Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (or PFAS) to human cell death. PFAS are chemicals found in highly used commercial products, notably things that are waterproof or oil and grease resistant, like clothes, makeup, and hygiene items.
McNeil helped present his lab’s findings at conferences highlighting the impact of recent increase of PFAS, known as the forever chemical, in drinking water. The research is part of a larger trend of North Carolina scientists who have increased their focus on the compound’s effects on humans after the state government sued companies for releasing the harmful chemicals into public water systems.
McNeil sees his work as building a case to remove PFAS from uses that introduce the chemical to humans where long-term health implications are evident.
“For example, it’s going to help provide the data to support the stories of firefighters that are dealing with cancer because of the use of PFAS in their equipment,” he says.
McNeil, who moved to the United States from Jamaica at 11, wants to research cancer after his education, specifically focusing on genetics, cells, and developmental biology. Only 19 years old, McNeil has already completed his undergraduate degree, and his work with BRIC is a post-undergraduate position. This position is giving him the research experience he needs to be competitive when he applies to MD/PhD programs–where he plans to be part of the next generation of cell biologists.
“I leaped at the opportunity to do this job after graduating, and providentially, this opportunity quite literally walked right up to me. I want to be as optimally positioned as possible before applications open in a few months, and I definitely feel more prepared now than I did a year ago,” McNeil says.
Working in the iQ is having just as much of an impact on him as he is by helping in the lab.
“The conversations you can have in the iQ research community goes beyond age or experience,” McNeil says. “We are a group of individuals from various backgrounds and different corners of the earth, congregating together for the express purpose of solving problems.”
With his role in the iQ, McNeil encourages people to refrain from considering science as a noun, and rather as a verb.
“Science is an action,” McNeil says. He wants his actions to cause tangible change–whether that’s contributing to cleaner water, removing harmful chemicals used in everyday products, or creating a new approach to fight cancer in the future. His current role is what makes BRIC effective and it’s paving a way to his future endeavors.
Without the skills and expertise of research assistants, technicians, and others like Campbell, Dhital, and McNeil, the machinery of scientific discovery wouldn’t progress. They play vital roles in ensuring that quality research is conducted, and they are key players in the future of scientific research–both in the iQ and beyond its borders.
To learn more about the iQ and its commitment to innovative research that changes our society, read how research endeavors support the mission of the iQ.
