Two DSU students do research as Du Bois Scholars at Harvard Univ.

While some DSU undergraduate students are spending the summer reuniting with hometown friends and family, taking vacation trips or working summer jobs, two Delaware State University students are doing research at Harvard University.

Olayimika Adeyemi, a senior Biological Sciences major from Nigeria, and Yasmeen Olass, a junior Biochemistry major, are part of the inaugural cohort of Harvard University’s Du Bois Scholars Program. They have joined 20 other HBCU students to take part in a rigorous nine-week summer research experience.

Ms. Adeyemi has spent the summer working alongside Dr. Kizzmekia S. Corbett-Helaire, Assistant Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, researching spike-based antigens as well as the biological, ecological, and environmental factors that shape malaria transmissions by the Anopheles mosquito.

While noting that she had very little knowledge of vaccinology and immunology when she began the Harvard experience, Ms. Adeyemi said the summer program inspired her to push beyond her comfort zone and embrace curiosity.

“I have grown to love this area of science immensely,” said Ms. Adeyemi, who is also pursuing minors in Chemistry and Psychology. “The hands-on lab experience has deepened my appreciation for the complexity and importance of these fields.”

Ms. Olass, who was also born in Nigeria, but raised in Paulding Country, Georgia, spent the summer program working with Dr. Flamina Catteruccia, Harvard Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, and Harvard graduate student Alexandra Probst, exploring ways to target the parasite Plasmodium falciparum during its development in Anopheles mosquitoes while using antimalarial drugs.

She said that she found it exciting to contribute to advancements in stopping the malaria parasite in mosquitoes and thereby pave the way for further progress in malaria treatment.

“This research experience at Harvard benefits me intellectually by deepening my understanding of vaccine development, enhancing my critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and broadening my knowledge of malaria, all of which are crucial for my future career in the healthcare field, said Ms. Olass, who is also minoring in psychology. 

The DSU students and the other Du Bois Scholars lived on the Harvard campus during the summer program.

The Du Bois Scholars Program is the latest program to come out of the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery initiative, which the Ivy League school launched in 2019. The Du Bois Scholars Program has been established with the goal of strengthening partnerships between Harvard University and Historically Black Colleges and Universities for collaboration and intellectual exchange.