BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – Haden Finchman ‘26, of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, and a junior studying biology at West Virginia Wesleyan College, spent summer 2023 researching tick biodiversity and Borrelia Burgdorferi (Lyme Disease Pathogen) incidence in North Central West Virginia. Alongside Haden during this experience were associate professors of biology and environmental science, Dr. Melanie Sal and Dr. Kim Bjorgo.

For their research, Haden and his fellow professors collected ticks from veterinarians and used a technique called “tick flagging” while also employing qPCR to detect B. burgdorferi infection in Ixodes Scapularis (deer and blacklegged tick)

Following this research, summer 2024 was a season of more research and connections for Haden. In June 2024, Haden began research at the NIH Summer Internship Program (SIP) This is thanks to Sal introducing Haden to this program. Haden applied to the Adams Lab and was mentored by Julia Silberman in the Adams Lab. During Haden’s research, he used the CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) toolkit to knock down RNA-binding proteins in B. burgdorferi. He developed models to allow his team to investigate their function.

Haden states, “I appreciate Dr. Sal who motivated me to take this opportunity and prepared me for this experience, Dr. Adams and Julia for teaching me and developing my confidence in research, and Don and Louise Krumm for hosting me with so much kindness and being so gracious to me over the duration of my research. I also thank the overall Wesleyan community for the ability to create opportunities and the Biology Department for supporting me through this journey!”

Haden’s research ended with a poster presentation at Summer Poster Days. He hopes to continue his research alongside Sal and attend another exciting program in Summer 2025.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2023 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan seventh in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 21 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.