Scholar Spotlight: Dylan David

Dylan Naitraj David ("Raj") is a graduate student in the University of Cincinnati's Immunology Graduate Training Program. He has completed all of his coursework and will graduate with his Master of Science in Immunology in Spring 2021.

Before coming to UC, Dylan earned two undergraduate degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, VA--a B.S. in Forensic Science with a Minor in Chemistry, and a B.S. in Biology. 

Dylan completed an undergraduate research thesis and performed biomedical research in four biomedical labs at VCU--two of which led to him being an author on a research manuscript (one in preparation and one currently published). 

After graduating in 2017, Dylan continued his scientific endeavors at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD as an IRTA Postbaccalaureate Research Fellow. 

Dylan is a second-generation American born to two immigrant parents, Vashti and Naitraj, who were both born and raised in the twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Dylan is immensely proud and excited to return to Trinidad and Tobago on a Fulbright Study/Research Grant in 2021. His Fulbright project will focus on elucidating the genetic causes for the higher cancer mortality-to-morbidity ratio in the population of Trinidad and Tobago, when compared to the population of the USA (even when accounting for differences in healthcare and social pressures between the two nations). 

As a Trinidadian-American immunologist and cancer biologist, Dylan hopes to learn more about his own culture while representing and sharing the culture and ideals of the USA, UC, and VCU; he hopes his work will shed some light on new therapeutic targets and approaches for cancer diagnoses and treatment in Trinidad and Tobago. 

After his Fulbright, Dylan hopes to matriculate into an MD-PhD dual-degree program, such as UC's Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) to train as a physician-scientist.