Orneika Flandrin

WHERE I'M FROM

Portland, Jamaica

BEFORE VS

I am originally from Jamaica, but I completed my bachelor’s in Biology at the Claflin University in South Carolina. Pursuing this degree was made possible through the Passport to College program.

WHY I’M HERE

Given its interdisciplinary nature, the VS program seemed like a great way to learn skills and acquire knowledge that can be transferred to other areas of research. This is especially useful given the dynamic nature of science and provides the opportunity for many useful collaborations.

MY RESEARCH

My research focuses on the innate defenses of the healthy cornea that lend themselves to the tissue’s exceptional ability to avoid colonization and sight-threatening infection. More specifically, my project aims to further understand how TRPA1 and TRPV1 nociceptors (pain- sensing neurons) regulate the corneal bacterial microbiome as a part of this defense system.

MY GOALS

Upon completion of my degree, I plan on working in the pharmaceutical industry to develop drugs and treatments for prominent ocular diseases, especially those that involve pain.

MY HOBBIES

Photography, traveling, reading and sunset chasing.

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