{"id":3935,"date":"2017-12-20T08:56:08","date_gmt":"2017-12-20T13:56:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/crossroads\/?p=3935"},"modified":"2019-12-18T13:21:04","modified_gmt":"2019-12-18T18:21:04","slug":"an-ebola-researchers-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/crossroads\/2017\/12\/20\/an-ebola-researchers-training\/","title":{"rendered":"An Ebola Researcher’s Training"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Jonathan Nofziger ’11 talks about his work in Liberia while visiting Eastern Mennonite University in the fall.<\/p><\/div>\n

IMAGINE A SCIENTIST WORKING IN A LAB, and you might envision gleaming, sterile equipment in a strictly controlled environment. For one Eastern Mennonite University graduate now studying effects of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Liberia, keeping samples in a four-degree window for days on end while navigating obstacles like electrical fires and limited infrastructure requires a \u201cflexible way of thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jonathan Nofziger manages the daily operation of clinical laboratories at several locations that are part of the Partnership for Research on Ebola Virus in Liberia, which is looking at long-term health effects of EVD in survivors. In that role, Nofziger supervises laboratory technicians collecting and processing samples, operates and performs detailed troubleshooting and maintenance on laboratory equipment, and maintains computer and networking systems used in the lab.<\/p>\n

Maybe it\u2019s no surprise that Nofziger was a biochemistry major at EMU and has a master’s degree in public health from George Washington University. But he points to something else on his resume, too, that prepared him for his current role as research associate for Advanced BioMedical Laboratories LLC: the liberal arts variety of his education, specifically theater.<\/p>\n

\u201cA major reason I got this job was actually because of my electrical skills that I gained while working at theater at EMU,\u201d he said recently. \u201cWithout that I might not have gotten the job \u2013 or at least I would be struggling to do\u00a0he work I need to get done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nofziger\u2019s job includes doing anything required to keep labs functioning and projects running smoothly \u2013 no small feat, considering that the obstacles can appear insurmountable. Occasionally he asks himself, \u201cIf I had a normal job, would I be bored?\u201d<\/p>\n

Testing equipment and maintaining samples require constant, stable electricity, but the local grid is less than adequate, necessitating generators and extension cords to keep freezers powered so that blood samples can be kept at -80 degrees celsius. Washed-out roads in a climate with a six-month rainy season impede travel. The constant battle against dirt, humidity, and protracted supply chain timelines \u2013 which can take months \u2013 requires spending hours every day making sure equipment is fully functional and ready for running tests.<\/p>\n

A recent series of electrical fires happened when building renovators incorrectly reconnected wires. Later an upper-story water leak destroyed the hospital wing\u2019s electrical system. Getting off the grid and onto generator power is a pressing need, he said.<\/p>\n

A key benefit of one of his machines in particular, he said, is its \u201cthorough troubleshooting manual.\u201d<\/p>\n

Such work requires broader training than just being taught a specific skill set.<\/p>\n

\u201cEMU provided the direct mentorship with professors to encourage that kind of thinking, but also the hands-on skills I use every day,\u201d he said. \u201cA liberal arts education prepared me for the job that was available without limiting me to only the job I was trained to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although his research focuses on EVD survivors \u2013 the 2014 EVD outbreak in Liberia has been declared ended by the World Health Organization \u2013 Nofziger knows the disease could reappear.<\/p>\n

During a recent presentation to an EMU biology class, Nofziger said that he finds it exciting to be part of research that he knows is going to have an impact in a country comparable in size to Virginia which suffered nearly 5,000 deaths in nearly 11,000 cases during the 2014 EVD outbreak.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree years ago there was no effective treatment and no vaccines for ebola,\u201d he said. \u201cIt really is amazing what happens when the world gets together and decides to solve a problem. I\u2019m glad to contribute to that effort.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

IMAGINE A SCIENTIST WORKING IN A LAB, and you might envision gleaming, sterile equipment in a strictly controlled environment. For one Eastern Mennonite University graduate now studying effects of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Liberia, keeping samples in a four-degree window for days on end while navigating obstacles like electrical fires and limited infrastructure requires […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":242,"featured_media":3937,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[941,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fall-winter-2016-17-2","category-magazine","issues-current-issue","issues-fall-winter-2017-18"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/crossroads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/crossroads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/crossroads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/crossroads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/242"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/crossroads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3935"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/crossroads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3935\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3938,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/crossroads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3935\/revisions\/3938"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/crossroads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/crossroads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/crossroads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/crossroads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}