Fighting neglected diseases: Ryan Sloan advances schistosomiasis research with Kopchick Fellowship support
Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (MID) PhD student Ryan Sloan is one of the recipients of the 2025 Dr. John J. Kopchick Fellowship. Sloan is a member of the lab of Jayhun Lee, PhD in the Molecular Microbiology and Genetics department at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. This fellowship supports his research efforts toward understanding how the parasitic worms schistosomes cause disease.
Developing new treatments
The Lee lab is focused on studying schistosomes, which are parasitic flatworms that cause the neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis. “This is a debilitating disease that disproportionately impacts some of the world’s poorest people,” says Sloan. Specifically, Sloan’s project focuses on understanding how these worms use their stem cells to produce other cell types that are crucial for their survival.
Through his research, Sloan hopes to provide insight on future treatments for schistosomiasis. “Our goal is to identify parasite factors that are essential for pathogenicity or survival in the host, which may have potential to be targeted for treatment of this disease.” As of now, the current treatment for schistosomiasis is not completely effective for everyone, which emphasizes the need for research projects like Sloan’s.
An environment to thrive
Sloan’s main goal when choosing a graduate program was to find a place that not only performed great scientific research, but also a place that fostered a supportive environment. “The school’s reputation was a driving factor for me when choosing where to do my PhD” says Sloan. The faculty, staff, and students at the Graduate School helped to foster this inviting environment. “I felt like this was a place where I could actually enjoy myself during graduate school.”
Sloan also emphasized that the abundance of resources was a deciding factor when choosing the Graduate School, including events and seminars, funding opportunities, and career development resources. “The welcoming environment and resources were the main reasons that I chose to come to GSBS, and I don’t regret it.” His experience so far has put Sloan on the path to further pursue a career in either academic or industrial research.
The importance of a support network
“It’s important to enjoy the science you are doing, but make sure the lab you join is somewhere you will be able to spend the next five years,” Sloan advises. He emphasizes the need to surround yourself with people who can help and support you. This not only applies to members of your own lab, but members of other students in your cohort as well. “It’s important to have a network to support you during graduate school, and this includes your friends who are going through the same process.”
Ryan’s incredible support system — from members of his lab, his friends, and the Graduate School as a whole — will help him achieve great things on his mission to discover new therapies for schistosomiasis.