Being a non-traditional student and an only child, I have never had roommates before, so when I found out I was going to live in Lima, Peru for three months in a house with ten other women, I was a little nervous. I didn't expect that we would be functioning as a family by the time I left.

We lived in San Miguel, a middle class area in Lima, and I had to take an hour-long bus ride to work and back each day. Living in this area really allowed me to experience what local Peruvian life is like. I walked to the bus stop each day, picked up daily groceries at the bodega a few houses down, and hauled my clothes to the lavanderia down the street. As such, my days were not too dissimilar from my Peruvian neighbors.

The first day I visited the lab I was stunned at how many people were working in a relatively small amount of space. I felt as though I was constantly moving trying to get out of the way of people as they were moving in and out of various labs. The first few lab meetings were slightly overwhelming, partially because they consisted of 20 or more people. I remember thinking I would never be able to remember everyone's name. Also they were held in Spanish 50% of the time, which was initially a challenge.

In Peru I worked with Dr. Robert Gilman, a professor of International Health at Johns Hopkins. I conducted research on Trypanosoma cruzi, a parasite that causes Chagas disease in the Americas and is transmitted to animals and people by insect vectors. The research focused on using a guinea pig as a model host for T. cruzi. We infected guinea pigs with T. cruzi and tracked the infection through the acute and chronic phase. Three different types of blood samples were tested, EDTA (non-coagulated blood), coagulated blood, and buffy coat (white blood cells). DNA was extracted from these samples and conventional and real-time PCR were run. The goal of the research was to set up a standard guinea pig model for looking at T. cruzi infections and to determine which detection methods work best.

A highlight of my trip was my Dad's arrival in Peru. We were able to travel through the southern part of the country. Peru is a country rich in culture and traditions, and each geographic area is distinct. We had the chance to travel to Puerto Maldonado (the jungle), Machu Picchu (one of the new seven Wonders of the World), Lake Titicaca (the highest commercially navigable lake in the world 12,507 feet above sea level), Arequipa (home to the snow capped volcano El Misti), and Colca Canyon (more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon).

Although the lack of a common language was a challenge, I came to realize that it is not a barrier to friendship. So much can be accomplished with patience and a smile. I formed many more meaningful connections in the short time I was there than I thought possible. The things I will miss the most from my time in Peru are the friends I made and the international scientific collaboration. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone. It seems unlikely that anyone could come away from a summer abroad and not be changed in a positive way.

I would like to thank the BRAVO! program, the MARC program, the NIH, the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, and Johns Hopkins School of Public Health for providing me with this opportunity. I would also like to thank Dr. Charles Sterling and Dr. Robert Gilman for being wonderful mentors, and NIH. for providing grants (MD001427, GM 8718) to fund my BRAVO! experience.

Nina Castro, BRAVO! student, with Dr. Robert Gilman, Lima, Peru, and MARC student in Dr. Charles Sterling's lab, Veterinary Science and Microbiology.

NOTE: Attend Nina's datablitz on Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 4:00 PM, Life Sciences South 440.