Perfect Opportunity: Michigan Student Heads to the Lab for Covid Research
How a junior is playing his part in curbing COVID-19
—By Jonathan Kaner
Another COIVD-19 Story
Dylan Landau hastily packed up his belongings with sadness in a wake of shock like much of the Michigan student population in March 2020. As the first cases of Coronavirus popped up in Ann Arbor, the reality set in that everybody was going to have to go home for a while. “We thought we’d be back in time to take our finals,” Landau said. “If you told me in March that COVID would still be affecting us today, I would’ve called you crazy.”
A year later, we can still not see a clear end to the COVID-19 era in our lives. Through social injustice, high death tolls, and political strife, the last year has been uncertain and tense. We continue to applaud those who work at solutions and treatment, and hope that every person does their part to curb the pandemic.
Landau is working to do just that. Starting in January, 2021, Landau was hired to be a recruiter for the Immunity Associated with SARS-CoV-2 (IASO) study. In this role, Landau has been able to combine his interests for public policy and medicine, while working to play his part in curbing the pandemic.
Landau, a Junior at the University of Michigan studying Biomolecular Science and minoring in Public Policy through the Ford School, has always had an interest in the intersection of the two disciplines. “I’m fascinated by the idea of public policy in medicine,” Landau said. “I want to involve myself in the intersection of research and health and how it can form policy.”
An Opportunity of a Lifetime
While scrolling through Twitter, Landau saw a Tweet from Michigan Research about a study called IASO – the Immunity Associated with SARS-CoV-2 study. Intrigued, Landau reached out to the researchers and told them he’s extremely interested and presented his credentials.
Soon after, a member of the research team spoke with Landau and he was added to the team—the only student amongst professionals. “It’s exciting to get more personal interaction with people,” Landau said. “Doing my part in trying to curb the pandemic and spread of COVID-19 is extremely rewarding and feels like my duty to do so.”
IASO is a study that looks into the blood samples and results of blood tests from University of Michigan employees and healthcare workers to try to track and measure their antibody levels. This analysis is of both people who have been infected and vaccinated and even those who have not been infected.
The project mirrors the ancient Greek Goddess IASO, who specialized in cures, remedies and modes of healing.
According to a feature by University of Michigan Health, “the IASO study will investigate the level and duration of protection afforded by natural infection with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 among U-M employees, including first responders, essential workers and anyone regularly working on campus.”
Many people wonder and argue about whether one can get COVID-19 again, and the goal of this study is to essentially answer this question. “Basically we want to answer the question of if you’ve had SARS-COV-2 or been exposed to before, can you get it again? And if you can get it again, what does that infection look like?” Aubree Gordon, associate professor of epidemiology at U-M’s School of Public Health and leader of the research, said in an article by Michigan News.
Landau joined this extensive research team as a recruiter, working on acquiring participants into the study and answering any questions they might have about the process. “It’s been rewarding to be the point of contact between the participants and the researchers,” Landau said. “I really feel like I am having an impact on the success of the study, and working toward getting a better understanding of COVID as a whole.”
Landau’s Experience
Coming back to Ann Arbor this semester, Landau was eager to find ways to get involved in any sort of research, and when this opportunity was presented to him, it seemed like it was made for him. “There’s obviously a huge emphasis on public policy related to medicine and health today,” Landau said. “I wanted to be involved in that in some way, and this research allows me to see firsthand how this process is occurring in an early stage.”
The research hopes to have 5,000 participants who are Michigan employees who regularly work on campus or at U-M facilities, including health care providers and essential workers. So far, Landau has had many preliminary calls with participants who volunteered in which he discusses the process and timeline for their participation.
Landau has felt a sense of pride and excitement in working alongside accredited members of the Michigan community. “The team is great and highly driven to get information about COVID,” Landau said. “They’ve done a great job in understanding the details of the research and being able to shadow them in this research has opened my world to new knowledge and processes.”
On a personal level, Landau has felt as though he has made an impact on the success of the research and beyond. “I think that people are appreciative,” Landau said. It’s definitely rewarding to help people and see people are willing to help, even if it’s just getting blood drawn every couple months.”
The Bigger Picture
Landau’s story highlights the list of students who have made an effort to make an impact on curbing COVID-19 and the effects it has had on the community. While Landau is making a direct contribution to curbing the pandemic, other students have made less conventional, indirect contributions. “My impact is just part of the puzzle,” Landau said. “I’m playing my part in trying to curb the pandemic. There’s so many different ways to get involved, across so many disciplines.”
Looking forward, Landau is hoping to continue to learn and assist in any way possible. “I’m looking forward to meeting more dedicated team members and professionals who are devoted to the pursuit of knowledge,” Landau said. “I’m hoping to connect with the Ann Arbor community and mobilize them to do their part in finding out information that could prove pivotal to stopping the spread of COVID.”
Landau will be working on the research for the remainder of the school year or until his role is no longer needed. While studying for placement exams into medical schools this summer, he will continue to pursue other avenues of participation in the research field and medical community.
Landau hopes that his work can help inspire people to play a role in finding an end to the pandemic. “It’s not like I’m the one going into the lab and running tests to find COVID related solutions,” Landau said. “But I’m playing a role, and I think that people are capable of doing anything, no matter their skillset.”
Featured Image: Dylan Landau hard at work in his work-from-home setup in Ann Arbor. Photo Credit: Jonathan Kaner.