Andrei Abarientos is a senior Pathobiology and Sociology double major with broad research interests in vector-borne and zoonotic disease, as well as social sciences and community work. On campus he is a leader for Kids and UConn Bridging Education, an undergraduate assistant for the US Animal Vaccine Research Coordination Network, and a Team Coordinator for Partners in Health Engage. He is also a Board of Directors member and lead mentor for the Tolland County Robotics Foundation, working with kids to ignite passion for robotics and engineering. He is passionate about education, STEM, and global health advocacy.
He began and has continued his research experience with the Verardi lab, where he studies vaccine design against emerging tick-borne viruses including SFTSV and Heartland virus. In the summer following his freshman year, he worked as a Holster Scholar investigating sex-related antibody responses to a Powassan virus vaccine. The next summer, he studied as a summer intern at Rocky Mountain Laboratories with the National Institutes of Health in Hamilton, Montana. There, he investigated tick-host interactions with a focus on skin-derived proteases and their role in tick-modulated wound healing.
He has also completed a SHARE apprenticeship with sociology professor Dr. Simon Yamawaki Shachter. There, he used historical sociology methods to study the 19th-century creation of West Coast cities, particularly the interactions and relationship between anti-Chinese and labor movements.
Following graduation, he hopes to pursue further education in training in either a clinical or research setting. Outside of the lab, he enjoys reading, hiking, and is currently learning how to play the harmonica.
Student Research Blog Posts by Andrei: