UTMB Medical student Anusha Dabak spent six weeks in Cusco for a UTMB Global Experience. In the lab she extracted DNA and ran PCR to investigate Bartonella and Leptospira after receiving blood from patients who presented with dengue-like symptoms but tested negative for dengue.
Early positives led the team to recalibrate primers. The takeaway was methodical troubleshooting and patience that comes with bench science. Field perspective mattered. She joined rural teams treating fascioliasis in livestock and examined snail habitats that sustain transmission, linking lab findings to community realities.
Daily Spanish plus one-on-one lessons three times a week improved communication and teamwork in clinics and labs. Next steps for Anusha include continued research and a fourth-year rotation abroad.
