Mrs. Brown
Past Projects
Samantha Brown began her research career as an undergraduate student at WSU. There she worked on a Northern Fowl Mite project focused on MHC haplotypes with the model organism: Gallus gallus. While the project was not fruitful, she did learn a lot about working in a research lab. During that time she assisted Ph.D. students on ecology and parasitism projects with the model organism Culex pipiens. In graduate school at WSU, she continued working with parasites and completed a thesis on the Rocky Mountain Wood Tick feeding factors on the deer mouse population. Upon graduation, she secured a job at the Non-Profit Allen Institute for Brain Science. There she was a part of the Lab Animal Science Team. After receiving her Lab Animal Technician Certificate, she moved on to a small business working on pest products. At the company, Samantha helped manage the research and development team. She traveled across the United States to work on NIH funded Mosquito Trapping Product and was awarded a USDA grant for tick trapping. However, she returned to academia within a short time and landed a role at Seattle Children’s Research Institute as head of the INsectary and Research Scientist in the Kaushansky lab. There she ventured into Malaria Vaccine research and mouse trials plus many other projects. Several published papers and a patent were achieved in that time.
Current Projects
Samantha is now a 8th and 9th grade Science Teacher with the Lake Stevens School District. Her plans are to continue to work with local biotech companies and individuals to bring experience and opportunity into the classrooms.
Personal
Samantha is a born and raised Washingtonian who enjoys the beautiful and bountiful outdoor opportunities. When not in a classroom she can be found hiking with her husband and dog in the mountains. She enjoys traveling to the Oregan coast and hitting a couple National Parks every summer.
Samantha grew up in a middle class household, and was a first generation college graduate. She worked throughout college and ventured into Veterinary Medicine for most of her college career. When Veterinary school did not work out, she dived headfirst into research. While working in various positions she found her passion for teaching. After receiving a Masters in Teaching she got married and bought a house in the country with her husband. They are expecting their first baby in June of 2023.
Publications
Article: “Germinal center activity and B cell maturation promote protective antibody responses against Plasmodium pre-erythrocytic infection" PLOS Pathogens. In Review.
Article: Antibody interference by a non-neutralizing antibody abrogates humoral protection against Plasmodium liver stage. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.15.298471v1
Article: Liver stage malaria infection is controlled by host regulators of lipid peroxidation. Cell Death Differ. 2019 May 7. doi: 10.1038/s41418-019-0338-1.
Article: ELQ-331 as a prototype for extremely durable chemoprotection against malaria. bioRxiv 687756; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/687756
Award: Grant proposal- “Tick Surveillance and Mass Capture Trap”- USDA SBIR 2018- 100K
Poster Presentation: ‘Evaluation of a commercial autocidal gravid ovitrap for the control of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in three regions of the United States.’ Michael Banfield, Emily Kuhns, Samantha Whiteside, Dawn Wesson, Isik Unlu
Poster Presentation: Showcase- Allen Institute: ‘Lab Animal Services’ Carrie Angeles, Melissa Reding, Michelle Steocklin, Samantha Whiteside
Poster Presentation: Academic Showcase (Invitation Only) - ‘Putting Limits on Larval Feeding Success for the Rocky Mountain Wood Tick (Dermacentor andersoni)’Samantha Whiteside. 2015
Poster Presentation: Wiley Research Exposition (Invitation Only) - ‘Differences in Parasite Resistance as a Result of MHC in the Domestic Chicken (Gallus gallus)’ Samantha Whiteside, Jeb Owen. 2012
Poster Presentation: SURCA (Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities) (Invitation Only) - ‘Testing Biotic Factors Effects on Northern House Mosquito Fitness’ Kristen Wedam, Kelsey Withrow, Samantha Whiteside, Jeb Owen. 2012