WHAT I WANT TO STUDY: I have always been interested in historical epidemiology, ever since I was a little kid (I have no idea why). It all started with an interest in Typhoid fever in first grade when I learned about Typhoid Mary. Then I went on to self study the Bubonic Plague in second grade, Scarlet Fever in third grade, Leprosy in fourth grade, and so on... all the way until my sophomore research paper and junior thesis, on the Spanish Influenza and the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793, respectively. I am unsure which disease to choose now, but I have narrowed it down to tuberculosis, bubonic plague, syphilis, or influenza. Whichever disease I choose to pursue an in depth look at it would allow me to build off my previous knowledge and expand into unknown research.
MY GOALS: Research the science behind the disease (TBD), the historical significance, and the current implications of its history. At the end of all my research, my goal is to have a tangible 100-200 page book, inspired by Mary Roach's easily understandable writing style of scientific non-fiction.
WHY I WANT TO DO CAPS: I have always believed that real world experience is the best way to learn, and CAPS is an opportunity for me to enact that in my own education. Whatever I do in CAPS will be far closer, than say, sitting in class, to what I want to do in the future in medicine. Despite the fact that I've researched many historical infectious disease epidemics many times in my life, I believe that this one will be an intellectual stretch. Unlike my previous experiences with research, I want this to result in something significant and meaningful to people besides myself, and to become a tangible product of my hard work. Writing a book will be no easy task, and as a science person, writing that much will be a very new experience to me. However, it is a lifelong dream of mine, and I believe that with the guidance of CAPS I will finally be motivated to achieve this goal