Alumni Update: IMMB alum Savannah Sims discusses her experience at the School of Medicine

During a recent return campus visit to speak to current students, Savannah Sims recounted how she found her love for science during her time in the Immunology and Medical Microbiology bachelor’s program at the WVU School of Medicine.

Sims is a senior associate for Global Health Research and Development Advocacy with Research!America, a nonprofit, non-partisan medical and health research advocacy alliance that advocates for science, discovery and innovation to achieve better health for all. In her role, Sims frequently interacts with Members of Congress, federal officials, patient advocacy groups and the private sector to talk about the importance of increased investment in scientific and global health research. Sims confirmed that she still uses those foundational skills she fell in love with at WVU on a daily basis.

“My time as an undergraduate was completely transformative in my career plans,” Sims said. “When I started college. I knew I liked science and math, and I knew I wanted to help people, but I really did not have a clear direction. The experiences and opportunities I had at WVU helped shape my understanding of what I could achieve in science and medicine, eventually inspiring me to pursue a Ph.D.”

After earning her bachelor’s degree, Sims went on to earn her doctorate in Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis from WVU in the lab of Gordon Meares, Ph.D., where she focused specifically on neuroimmunology.

What first led you to pursue a degree in Immunology and Medical Microbiology at WVU? Growing up in Fairmont, West Virginia, I developed a strong sense of pride in my home state and WVU. Both my parents, who were first-generation college students, earned their master’s degrees from WVU, making the University a significant part of our family identity. My interest in science and math, combined with a desire to help people, naturally led me to pursue a degree in science, although I initially was an engineering major and also took classes that were prerequisites for medical school. The Immunology and Medical Microbiology program was a new program and did not exist when I started college. During my first couple years of undergrad, I tried to gain a wide variety of experience through various extracurriculars. I had the opportunity to intern at NASA and began working in a biomedical engineering research lab. I fell in love with asking scientific questions and the continual pursuit of knowledge while working in the lab. My research lab was located in the Health Sciences Center, where I frequently noticed signs for the Immunology and Medical Microbiology program. I had enjoyed the immunology section of one of my human physiology classes and wondered why I had not considered this field earlier. A few months later, I accepted a summer position in a research lab in Changchun, China. While in China, I realized my profound love for science. I truly realized that I loved the ability of science to transcend borders and serve as a beacon of hope for the future. I decided to pursue a career as a scientist and changed my major to Immunology and Medical Microbiology.

How did the mentorship from your professors influence your decision to pursue a Ph.D.?Mentorship was completely transformative. My mentors at WVU made me feel like I was someone capable of being challenged and inspired me to pursue a Ph.D. They provide guidance, support and encouragement, making me believe in my potential and pushing me to aim higher.

Can you describe a memorable moment you had during your time at the School of Medicine Overall, I had the time of my life getting my Ph.D. It was the privilege of my life to have the opportunity to work with wonderful humans and scientists every day. A memorable moment was being invited to Australia to give a talk about my research. I was the only person from my lab to fly to Australia and represent WVU with my research! Other memorable moments included taking fellow science Ph.D. students to Capitol Hill to advocate for increased federal funding for science as well as receiving an individual, nationally competitive grant from the National Institutes of Health.

How has being an alumna of WVU influenced your professional network and opportunities? Being an alumna of WVU has significantly expanded my professional network and opened numerous opportunities. The connections I made with faculty, peers and alumni have been instrumental in my career development and continue to provide valuable support and collaboration opportunities.

How do you apply the skills and knowledge gained from WVU in your current role with Research!America? The critical thinking, problem-solving skills, communication skills, and scientific knowledge I gained at WVU are essential in my role at Research!America. I use these skills to advocate for medical progress, communicate complex scientific concepts to policymakers and collaborate with various stakeholders to advance global health research and development. At WVU, I also learned the importance of always approaching my work with a level of compassion and understanding the bigger picture of the impact my work could potentially have on others.

Looking back, what do you consider the most valuable piece of your education at WVU? By far, the most valuable piece of my education was having the opportunity to work so closely with the wonderful faculty, staff and professors. Their mentorship and the collaborative environment at WVU were crucial in shaping my career and personal growth. At WVU, I felt like I had the intellectual safety to ask questions and try new things that allowed me to push my own limits to grow. At WVU, I also was consistently pushed to critically think and explain myself and explain my science in clear, concise ways.

What advice would you give to incoming students who are interested in following a similar career path? I would tell them, first, that they belong there. Science and medicine are better by having their voice. Reach out to others and don’t be afraid to cold call and network with others, especially those from similar backgrounds. More than likely, if they have any time to spare, they would love to give back by lending you 15 minutes. I would encourage those in science to do the things that scare them. Apply for that grant. Attend that conference. Send the email. Do the experiment that might fail. Tell your advisor about the potentially silly idea you have. Apply for that job. Doing these things create opportunities for future you to succeed that you may not have known existed.