Anaheim student studying HIV virus

University of California, Irvine researchers got back two weeks ago from the 14th annual International AIDS conference in Spain. They were there to present research on the HIV protein integrase. While they were away, 16 year-old Teresa Chau Nguyen was working alongside graduate students in their grant-funded laboratory. During this time, she passed her driver's test but was already in the driver's seat of cutting-edge AIDS research. Nguyen was a participant in the American Cancer Society's Youth Science Fellowship Program, which allows nine Orange County high school students to spend six weeks of their summer in a hands-on learning environment. Nguyen teamed up with third-year molecular biology graduate student Debrah Lee for six weeks to learn about her integrase research. "Studying proteins is essential for a virus replication," Nguyen said. "Currently there is no drug on the market that targets the integrase protein." She said it tool a while to calm her nerves before being able to follow along. "We are expressing integrase protein from genes derived from patients who have HIV," she said. "At first they were talking about all of these big words that I didn't know what they meant. But those words are just normal now." Nguyen's research is focused on integrase because the other three proteins essential to replicate to contain HIV already have drugs available. "The two other protein's drugs are what make up the AIDS cocktail which you might have seen advertised on TV," Lee said. The lab works with three HIV samples. One is from Rwanda, the other is from North America and the third is considered a wild card, or unknown patient. "It's been a long time since I've talked to someone who is 16," said Raffy Dakessian, program coordinator. "It's good for us graduate students to hear the public perception of science. The level that they are at is definitely different than the level that the mentors are at and we act as a bridge." Nguyen is not allowed to throw on a lab coat, goggles and gloves to get an up-close look at the HIV virus. In this aspect they realize that she is still just a high school student and the liability factor comes into view. "The amount of material can be daunting," Dakessian said. "Everything was over the students' heads at first, but it comes down to how you deal with it. You have to think abstractly, and learn how to sort through information." Although the research is strictly medical, Nguyen has become more familial' with the virus as a whole. "I know what HIV patients are going through and how difficult it must be for them and their family because now I know exactly what the virus is like," she said. Community service is promoted at Nguyen's high school, Oxford Academy in Cypress, an Anaheim Union High School District college preparatory campus. "There are two paths that you must choose from in your first year at the school," Nguyen said. "It's between business and medical and I have wanted to be a doctor since I was little." Nguyen said there are more females involved in her school's medical program than males. "I think this is because women like to take care of people," she said. "And you know men, they want to make money." Nguyen plans to continue to study medicine at UCI or University of California, Santa Barbara. "The misconception is that science is hard," Raffy said. "What we do on a day-to-day basis, like mixing two liquids together, is not difficult. What is complicated is explaining the rationale behind it. "