User:Thelivingautomaton

Hi!
I'm Kristina, also known as thelivingautomaton here on Wikipedia (and elsewhere). I am non-binary and use any pronouns, preferably interchangeably (although for consistency and formatting's sake, just they/them is fine).

I'm a graduate student currently based in New York City while I pursue a PhD in virology. You can probably find me editing pages related to viruses, infectious disease, medicine, and public health; I also have a lot of other interests (catalogued below), so you might see me pop up there as well. I'm quite new to the world of Wikipedia editing; please be gentle while I learn the ropes :)

The best way to get in touch with me will probably always be my email, but you can also find me on Twitter.

Areas of expertise
Currently pursuing a PhD in biomedical sciences as part of a virology-focused research lab that works on developing, characterizing, and optimizing antiviral therapeutics for human cytomegalovirus (or HCMV) as well as other pathogens with significant impact on public health, e.g. SARS-CoV-2. My thesis specifically concerns the characterization and optimization of human monoclonal antibodies against HCMV generated in transgenic humanized mice for molecular and clinical applications. As such, my expertise generally falls under the following umbrellas:
 * Biochemistry
 * Cellular and molecular biology
 * Immunology
 * The "adaptive arm" of the immune response, namely humoral immunity and antibodies
 * Medicine and infectious disease
 * Viruses and virology
 * Herpesviruses, especially HCMV
 * Prophylactic and therapeutic treatments for viruses which cause disease in humans (e.g. antibodies, small-molecule drugs, and vaccines)

You can see a list of my research publications here.

Other interests
This section will likely be ever-expanding and evolving -- stay tuned...

Personal details
Born in Maryland 20-30 years ago, currently living in New York City. American, and of Slavic (specifically Bulgarian) descent. Non-binary person who uses any pronouns. Autistic and ADHD-haver. Married to a military veteran. Heavily left-leaning politics. Orthodox Christian.