Moriah McArthur
Born and raised in Maryville, Tennesse, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Moriah McArthur brought a passion for understanding human experience and a committment to community service to her studies at Pacific. An anthropology major, Moriah developed her interest in Africa while on her junior-year study abroad trip to Ghana.
For her Fulbright year, Moriah McArthur is traveling to Nigeria, where she will be working out of Bayero University, located in Kano. While in Nigeria, Moriah will be studying the Hausa people. Her research focuses on the intermingling of Western biomedicine and traditional Hausa medical beliefs related to the diagnosis and treatment of obestetric fistula. Moriah's work seeks to better understand how two different etiologies can coexist or be synthesized, so that women with obestetric fistula can be treated by a combination of Western and Hausa medicine. Moriah will be conducting in-depth interviews,collecting life histories and doing extensive participant observation in order to better understand this problem. Upon completion of her Fulbright year, Moriah plans on publishing her work, and attending a Ph.D. program in Anthropology.
Svetlana Mitsina
Born in Belarus, Svetlana Mitsina came to the United States when she was thirteen years old. Despite having to learn English and a new culture, Svetlana excelled in high school. She discovered her passion for science and medicine while doing summer research in molecular biology with her professors at Pacific.
For her Fulbright year, Svetlana Mitsina will be traveling to New Zealand, where she will be working at the University of Victoria in Wellington, with Dr. Bronwyn Kivell. Svetlana will be working with Dr. Kivell on a project to further understand how drugs such as ecstasy (MDMA) affect monoamine transportes in the human brain. Their goal is to better understand the mechanisms by which this occurs, in order to reduce the adverse effects of these drugs. This research will also help further our understanding of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and depression, which result from malfunctions in monoamine transporter, such as dopamine and serotonin. Upon completion of her Fulbright year, Svetlana plans to attend medical school.
Jessica Prince
Born and raised in Littleton, Colorado, Jessica Prince was introduced to the devastating effects of illness early as she struggled to make sense of her mother's battle with lung cancer. A student of both spanish and biochemistry, Jessica studied abroad in Quito, Ecuador where she volunteered at Fondacion Padre Damian, translating between families and surgeons.
For her Fulbright year, Jessica Prince is traveling to Ecuador, to study with Dr. Gabriel Trueba, at La Universidad San Francisco de Quito, in Quito. Jessica's work centers on infection patterns of water-borne pathogens in rural communities in Esmeraldas, Ecuador. Water-borne pathogens have been a longstanding problem in rural Ecuador, as communities do not have the resources for proper water treatment facilities. In her research, Jessica will be studying and identifying strains of bacterial samples from Esmeraldas, particularly Escherichia coli. Jessica's research into the different strains of water-borne pathogens present in rural water supplies will assist in developing treatment options both for infections and in ridding water supplies of these pathogens. While in Ecuador, Jessica will also be taking courses at La Universidad San Francisco de Quito, and volunteering at local schools teaching English and tutoring math and science. Upon completion of her Fulbright year, Jessica plans to attend a combined Ph.D./MD program, specializing in Tropical Medicine.
