By Alora Peters, Editor-in-Chief
For many students at Saint Leo University, Tuesday, March 25, was simply a day to catch up on final papers and study for upcoming exams. However, one Saint Leo senior also wanted to use the day to draw attention to worldwide communities impacted by the deadly disease of malaria.
Rex Soderlund, who is studying biomedical and health sciences, stated that he began to be interested in the more personal aspects of malaria after conducting research on the disease in his biology senior seminar course with Dr. Patrick Sheridan.
“There was a part of me that was curious … what does malaria look like for people who are actually experiencing it?” Soderlund said. “I was trying to elucidate what malaria looks like for a Western audience.”
To achieve this goal, Soderlund led a team of other Saint Leo students in a presentation on World Malaria Day. During the event, attendees were joined remotely by Ugandan clinician Andrew Wefwafwa, who is based in the Manafwa District of eastern Uganda.
Wefwafwa explained how his country and his people are affected by the disease.
“Malaria is very dangerous,” he said. “Everything gets messed up.”
One of the most critical problems Wefwafwa presently faces in conducting antimalarial treatment is the need for more resources.
“If I could just get my hands on a microscope that could be used to help identify malaria parasites, we would be able to screen and reach these people,” he said.
Students said the presentation and the conversation opened their eyes to the situation.
“I did learn a lot about the research that is involved and the steps that we need to take to help,” said Michael Libassi, a sophomore majoring in homeland security. “There’s a lot that needs to be done.”
Students also felt inspired to hear about what is currently being done to combat the disease.
“I learned that there is actually hope for people in these struggling situations,” said Timothy Capolino, a sophomore majoring in business.
The World Malaria Day event was completed in conjunction with Soderlund’s Honors Capstone project.
He explained that one of the more difficult parts of his project was finding an international researcher who was interested in collaborating with him on the event and was grateful for Wefwafwa’s willingness to participate.
“I think it was divine intervention, if you ask me,” said Soderlund. “I don’t know if this would have been the same process or the same level of success with another clinician. Wefwafwa was instrumental in making this a reality.”
Additionally, several other students in both the Saint Leo Honors program and the biology department assisted Soderlund with the planning and management of the event. Like Soderlund, they hoped the event would shed new light on malaria.
“I hope that students who came today saw the bigger picture,” said Tayhana Taylor, a junior majoring in accounting and one of the student volunteers. “I also hope they realize how fortunate we are and just be more empathetic and sympathetic towards people who are in need.”
Soderlund and other Honors students will present their research and capstone projects during the week of April 24-28.
