Gemstone Team VIRAL Conducts Zika Brain Development Study at Children’s National Hospital

/ 11 February 2026 /
Ademide Adeyemo and Caroline Hobson collaborate at the lab bench
Ademide Adeyemo and Caroline Hobson collaborate at the lab bench. Photo credit: Amina Lampkin / Office of Undergraduate Studies.

This year, the Gemstone program’s Team VIRAL is finishing up their four-year project focused on understanding the effects of Zika virus exposure during pregnancy on fetal brain development. The undergraduate student research team has been working under the mentorship of Dr. Youssef Kousa at Children’s National Hospital, with additional guidance from University of Maryland faculty co-mentor Dr. Erin Tran. The team’s mentorship arrangement is unique for Gemstone in that their primary mentor is affiliated off-campus at a major hospital rather than the university, enabling the students to participate directly in clinical research activities.

Clara Abdelmalek prepares and loads samples for PCR amplification to help identify genetic material.
Clara Abdelmalek prepares and loads samples for PCR amplification to help identify genetic material. Photo credit: Amina Lampkin / Office of Undergraduate Studies.

To investigate how prenatal Zika virus infection affects fetal brain development, Team VIRAL is testing whether targeting cellular pathways like autophagy and the lysosome—with treatments such as metformin—can reduce Zika-related neurological damage before birth. To conduct this research, students have spent the past two years learning basic laboratory techniques, contributing to experimental protocols, and assisting in pre-clinical model research in consultation with clinicians and lab technicians at Children’s National. Team members come from different majors, including biology, neuroscience, and computer science, and share roles that include developing lab procedures, analyzing data, and coordinating schedules between campus and hospital labs. Through this partnership, students have gained exposure to hospital staff and broader research operations at Children’s National Hospital, participating in full lab meetings and learning within a professional medical environment.

Nandi Patel arranges prepared sections of tissue on microscope slides
Nandi Patel arranges prepared sections of tissue on microscope slides. Photo credit: Amina Lampkin / Office of Undergraduate Studies.

For team member Clara Abdelmalek, a senior neuroscience major, the idea for the project grew out of a family connection to Dr. Kousa. When he learned she would be joining the Gemstone program, he encouraged her to propose a subproject related to research his lab was already conducting on how viral infections affect the developing brain. She took the idea back to her classmates at Gemstone and proposed the project that later became Team VIRAL. As a mentor liaison for the team, she coordinates student involvement both on campus and at the hospital. 

“Being able to design and run experiments in a real clinical research environment as an undergrad has completely changed how I think about medicine and research,” Abdelmalek said.

Aubrey Alexander uses a micropipette to prepare tissue samples from pre-clinical models for immunofluorescence staining
Aubrey Alexander uses a micropipette to prepare tissue samples from pre-clinical models for immunofluorescence staining. Photo credit: Amina Lampkin / Office of Undergraduate Studies.

This experience is rare for undergraduates at Maryland. By working across two sites, at the University of Maryland and Children’s National, Team VIRAL students are learning to navigate complex logistics, from transportation to lab schedules, while maintaining rigorous experimental protocols.

Dr. Kousa has commended the students’ collaboration and persistence, noting their commitment to problem-solving and teamwork. “It’s been a privilege to work with the students from the University of Maryland,” he said. “They are hardworking, really smart, passionate, committed… Their ability to work through difficult things and overcome them is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Their persistence and grit are off the chart… And they’re helping each other. They’re giving each other credit. They’re lifting each other up. It’s really quite remarkable.”

By focusing their research on a significant health challenge affecting mothers and children, the students on Team VIRAL are developing both scientific and leadership skills. Their unique position with an off-campus mentor at Children’s National Hospital allows them to make contributions that could advance understanding and prevention of Zika-related birth defects, while gaining the practical experience and perspective required for future roles in medicine, science, or public service.

Team VIRAL with Dr. Kousa (Children’s National Hospital)
Team VIRAL with Dr. Kousa (Children’s National Hospital)

 

Team VIRAL with Dr. Kousa (Children’s National Hospital) and GEMS program director Dr. David Lovell and associate director Dr. Allison Lansverk.

The Gemstone program at the University of Maryland is a unique four-year, multidisciplinary, team-based research and living-learning community in the Honors College where undergraduates from all majors design, direct, and present significant research under the guidance of faculty mentors. Learn more about the Gemstone program at gemstone.umd.edu. Learn more about Team VIRAL at umdteamviral.weebly.com.  

Photo and video credit: Amina Lampkin / UMD Office of Undergraduate Studies.

Article provided by the Honors College.