By james art Riley Gillis is part of the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) program in Nevada. MARC Nevada’s goal is to increase diversity in the biomedical sciences by supporting students who aim to earn a Ph.D. or M.D.-Ph.D.
Gillis, an honors student, is a third-year double majoring in public health and microbiology and immunology and minoring in analytical organic chemistry.
Gillis knew from an early age that he wanted to go to college. In fifth grade, he read a book about Ebola and became interested in the disease. He knew he wanted to know more about them.
Gillis is from Reno and attended Hug High School, which he says prepared him well for college. However, once he started college, he had to decide what path he would take. He feels confident in pursuing a Ph.D. but is debating whether he would like to add MD
“The harder decision for me was, ‘What’s the end goal?'” Gillis said.
Gillis said one thing that is important to him is that the research he conducts actually benefits people in the place where he studies the diseases. Research needed to develop vaccinations or treatments may involve travel to places where diseases are endemic. Gillis is considering a doctorate, he said, because he wants to be able to provide medical care to people in the places he visits who may be underserved.
Gillis works in David Aucoin’s lab at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. When Gillis visits NevadaFIT, microbiology and immunology students tour the labs at the medical school. During the tour, he met Heather Green, a postdoctoral fellow working in AuCoin’s lab. Green and Gillis spoke after the tour, and Green mentioned his work with Ebola, which caught Gillis’ attention. Gillis reached out during the first semester of his freshman year to see if he could work in the research lab. He started as a cell culture apprentice and has worked there ever since.
Gillis’ work is primarily related to infectious diseases with a particular focus on performing diagnostic tests for tropical pathogens. To do the tests, Gillis generated hybrid cancer immune cells called “hybridomas.” These cancer cells reproduce rapidly and also generate large amounts of antibodies, the critical protein used to develop rapid tests (such as nasal swabs for COVID-19 or pregnancy tests). Gillis said many diseases have “non-specific” symptoms that could be the result of many different types of disease. For example, a headache could be the result of a cold, the flu, some kind of mosquito-borne encephalitis, or simply dehydration. This makes diagnosis incredibly challenging.
“If you’re not able to determine exactly what’s affecting someone, then you’re not able to provide them with the right kind of care,” Gillis said.
By developing tests to rapidly detect and diagnose understudied pathogens, Gillis can pursue his interest in helping countries with limited resources.
“Rapid tests improve the capacity to fight disease, especially among pathogens with known treatments that present with nonspecific symptoms,” Gillis said.
In addition to the many technical skills Gillis has gained working in the research lab, such as animal research (including surgical procedures), advanced biosafety practices and benchtop experiments, Gillis said the MARC Nevada program has taught him to be independent. As part of the program, students are required to seek a rotation in another research laboratory and to present at conferences, which sometimes require travel.
“It taught me to trust myself more and to be comfortable knowing that no matter what happens, you’ll figure it out,” Gillis said.
For his rotation, Gillis works with Samuel Lee, chair of medicine and chief of internal medicine at the School of Medicine. Dr. Lee has a Ph.D. and MD and has been a valuable mentor to Gillis throughout his journey. Over the summer, Gillis led a team of researchers in Dr. Lee’s lab focused on discovering new treatments for emerging fungal pathogens. His research is purposeful Candida aurisan invasive yeast microbe that kills 30-60% of those infected and affects more people in Nevada than any other state. Gillis plans to publish with Hannah Schultz, medical student and co-author, in the near future.
MARC Nevada is also providing financial support for Gillis to participate in Level 3 biosafety training in January 2025. The training is being offered in Southern California, where Gillis will travel to learn about advanced safety techniques for studying particularly dangerous infectious diseases. He looks forward to continuing to expand his knowledge and skills in disease research.
In addition to his work with the MARC Nevada program, Gillis is involved in the medical fraternity on campus, serving as vice president of programming. Off campus, Gillis enjoys the company of friends, hiking and riding motorcycles. He also engages in public service, meeting and assisting the President of the United States and other White House officials when they visit Nevada.
Gillis is also a concert pianist. For a while, he thought he might go to college for music, and although he ended up studying biomedical sciences, he still worked toward musical goals. He performed in Artown as principal pianist of the Northern Nevada String Serenade and the Ruby Mountain Symphony Orchestra in July. Gillis recently recorded his first album, which is available on Spotify and Apple Music.
MARC Nevada provides students with stipend, travel, and tuition support so they can focus on their lab work and their academics. Gillis said it helps him prioritize his academics instead of worrying about a certain number of hours in the lab to pay rent.
“It makes all the difference in the world,” Gillis said.
For Gillis, doing what he loves, being honest with his fellow researchers, standing up for himself and having his priorities straight makes all his activities easier to balance. Lauren Netzel, a graduate teaching assistant for the MARC Nevada program, gave Gillis an analogy she found helpful in balancing his busy workload.
“Life is like juggling balls,” Gillis recalls. “Some of the balls are glass and others are plastic. You can always ditch the plastic ones. that’s good. Just don’t drop the glasses and know which is which.”
Gillis’ favorite parts of being involved with the MARC Nevada program are the people and the way “the outside world disappears” when he enters the lab. Some of the people to whom Gillis shared his appreciation are Sujata Pandit and Vanessa Berner for their guidance in and out of the lab.
“They’re super supportive and have helped me through a lot, whether it’s life advice or dealing with the stress of being an adult,” Gillis said.
He also thanked Marcellene Hollingsworth for her role in helping him apply to, among other programs, MARC Nevada.
Gillis also expressed gratitude to his friends and family for their support of his participation in the MARC Nevada program, and to AuCoin for fostering a positive work culture at the research lab.
Gillis is one of many students who truly exemplifies The Wolf Way.