Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Georgia Senior Ventures Spotlight: AUG Ningombam
Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Rome, GA
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Senior Ventures Spotlight: AUG Ningombam

AUG Ningombam | November 6, 2020 | 260 views

My Senior Ventures project delves into the causes of influenza (Flu) endemics every year and the importance of preventive measures in fighting this disease. I am analyzing the effectiveness of simple social practices such as wearing a facemask in public places, and timely vaccination for Flu in curtailing this endemic. Unlike other vaccines, flu vaccines are to be taken every year. My focus will also be on the possibility of developing a universal vaccine for Influenza virus strains and make it a once in a lifetime vaccine.

In spite of the fact that millions are infected every year in the USA alone, the flu endemic has been a recurrent problem for a long time for everyone, and everywhere. I selected this project because humanity is confronted with two major challenges in fighting this virus.

First, we seem complacent or rather ignorant about the problems caused by the flu every year. We generally think that flu will come and just go by without much footprint. However, that is wrong. It leaves a trail of human tragedy every flu season, sometimes it goes even on a pandemic scale, as we have witnessed in the Spanish Flu and others in recent times.I believe if we could follow simple hygiene practices such as wearing a facemask in public places, and a timely vaccination of flu, it will help in protecting ourselves.

Secondly, the flu virus comes every year in a new avatar; it mutates its genome constantly to form a new strain every season. We always have to develop a new vaccine to fight the new avatar. Nevertheless, if a single vaccine for a lifetime is possible, it will help in eradicating or at least keep it under control.

It will be a multipronged approach. I will be actively advocating for preventive safety measures, such as wearing a facemask in public places, if one is infected with flu, and social awareness about the importance of vaccination by dispelling the misconception and myths about the vaccines. Some people are concerned about the possible side effects of receiving a flu vaccine, such as redness or swelling from the shot, headache, or fever. However, these effects are generally very mild, and go away within a few days. Moreover, the benefits of vaccination always outweigh the conceived risks.

I will also be completing an in-depth study of the structure and function of the flu virus to discover why and how this virus mutates constantly. I will be looking for vulnerable spots in the genome of the virus that could be used as a target for a universal vaccine.

At the end of the project, I sincerely believe that humanity will unite as a family and fight this virus together by getting timely vaccination and instilling the simple preventive measures in our day-to-day life. And I also hope that I will be able to get some insights into the mystery of the ever changing genome of the Influenza virus.

I am very fortunate to have Dr. Toni King as my Darlington mentor for this project. She has been very encouraging and committed in guiding me in this challenging venture. It is because of her inspiration that today I believe in myself and tackle this project with confidence.

I am fully aware of the importance as well as the sensitivity of this project. Nevertheless, it is also my humble and sincere belief that everybody will wholeheartedly join me in fighting this virus. This project is just the beginning of a long journey in my pursuit of academic endeavor.         

The Senior Ventures leadership program is a year-long senior project built on a framework of leadership, innovation, and community engagement. The topic and the project design are chosen by an individual student or a pair of students, and the journey is guided by Darlington faculty as well as mentors in the community. Most projects fall into one of the following categories: Investigation, Performance, Entrepreneurship, and Outreach. Candidates are selected according to proposal quality, feasibility, and commitment.