With a passion for advocating science policy, Corey Day, a first-generation college student, channels his research to protect communities from the threats posed by vector-borne diseases. Graduating from Western Carolina University with a bachelor’s degree in environmental health and a master’s degree in biology, Day has since set his sights on a mission – to protect the health and wellbeing of communities from mosquito-borne diseases. Currently pursuing a doctoral degree with a focus in bioinformatics, genomics, and molecular interactions, Day is using a combination of entomology and epidemiology to investigate the distribution of pediatric La Crosse virus disease in eastern Tennessee and North Carolina.

Q&A with Corey Day

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
I grew up in West Jefferson, North Carolina, which is a small town nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I became a first-generation college student when I enrolled at Western Carolina University in 2014. I graduated with a B.S. in environmental health science in 2018 and obtained a M.S. in biology from the same institution in 2018. My master’s research focused on the ecology of mosquitoes in the Appalachian Mountains, and I decided to pursue my Ph.D. at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville to continue researching mosquitoes of public health importance in Appalachia. I’m really interested in the intersection of entomology, ecology, and public health, and I’m hoping to find a career that lets me combine those interests to protect the health and well-being of communities.

What is your current concentration?
Bioinformatics, Genomics, and Molecular Interactions

What academic class has been your favorite and why?
My favorite class was Geographic Epidemiology, offered through the veterinary school’s Department of Comparative and Experimental Medicine. Although it wasn’t an entomology course, the skills I learned– primarily how to visualize and analyze spatial data – have been helpful to me in most of my research projects. I was even able to complete one of my dissertation chapters as a project for that class!

How has your academic training at The University of Tennessee prepared you for a career in the industry?
I think that my training has me well-prepared for all kinds of different scientific careers. I’ve greatly expanded my data analysis skills during my PhD program, which is really useful for a lot of the positions I am interested in. I’ve also gotten several opportunities to develop my science communication skills. Those experiences have really helped me improve my ability to communicate my science with people of different backgrounds, which I think will be super helpful for a career in public health entomology.

What is your current research question? What are your primary obstacles in answering this question?
I am currently investigating the distribution of pediatric La Crosse virus disease in eastern Tennessee and North Carolina. The biggest hurdle for this study was simply obtaining the data for the project. Since I am using private health information, I had to get institutional review board approval for the study to prove that our research would not cause any harm to those people who were included in the dataset. The university also had to agree on data use contracts with the TN and NC State Departments of Health. Long story short, it took about 18 months of paperwork and emails for me to actually get the data. Now that I finally have it, things are moving pretty quickly!

What do you believe is your biggest academic achievement?
This year, I have been working as the lead author on an invited review paper about my research topic, La Crosse virus disease. My only co-authors are my current academic advisor, Dr. Becky Trout Fryxell, and my master’s advisor, Dr. Brian Byrd. The paper is pretty cool – it provides a much-needed synthesis of the current state of La Crosse virus research, and it outlines a framework for preventing disease in the future. When I started my master’s degree five years ago, I never would have seen myself as capable of writing something like that. So for me, it’s a pretty big achievement.

Can you tell me a little more about your research?
I study a locally important mosquito-borne disease called La Crosse virus Neuroinvasive Disease (LACV-ND). It is primarily a pediatric disease, and it causes encephalitis and meningitis in East Tennessee children every year. I am using a combination of entomology and epidemiology to investigate when and where LACV-ND is most likely to occur, with the overall goal of identifying opportunities to reduce the disease burden in our state.

Any advice you would like to share with a prospective student?
Take ownership of your degree program early on. It is easy to forget that youare the most important product of your academic experience. It is really up to you to make sure that the work you are doing and the activities you are participating in will serve your post-graduation goals. The sooner you identify those goals, the sooner you can begin advocating for yourself so that you can get the opportunities that will help you the most. A good mentor will be happy to help you design a plan that helps you get to where you want to be, but your first challenge is figuring out what your goals are.

What kind of extracurricular activities do you participate in?
I am a Science Policy Fellow (SPF) in the Entomological Society of America, which is probably the coolest extracurricular thing I do. The SPF program is a two-year commitment (mine is the class of 2022-2024). During these two years, I get to take four trips to Washington, D.C. to advocate for science funding to benefit entomology. I participated in my first D.C. trip last May; I met with congressional staff from offices representing Tennessee, Idaho, and the District of Columbia to express the value of federal funding for entomology. We will return to D.C. in the Fall, but this time we will be meeting with federal agencies instead of congressional staff.

What are your two favorite hobbies?
I love watching good movies while eating good snacks and taking long walks with my wife and dog (Dakota and Porter).