Sean Connelly shares how a small‑town upbringing, a passion for community, and early research experiences led him to pursue a career dedicated to improving global health. Now an MD‑PhD student at the UNC School of Medicine, Connelly studies malaria drug resistance in East Africa, working with international partners to support Zanzibar’s efforts toward malaria elimination.
Can you tell us about your background and how you came to study global health and malaria research?
I’m an MD‑PhD student in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, and I grew up in a small coastal town in New Jersey known for its tight‑knit, community‑driven culture. Those early experiences taught me the value of using my skills in service of others and continue to shape the way I approach science and medicine. I channeled my interest in science and medicine toward global health, where I became committed to improving the well‑being of communities worldwide through better understanding and treatment of disease. That path led me to the Infectious Disease Ecology and Epidemiology Laboratory (IDEEL), where I am now pursuing a PhD in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, using single‑cell RNA sequencing to study malaria pathogenesis.
What experiences influenced your decision to pursue MD‑PhD training at UNC, and join the IDEEL Lab?
Before starting UNC’s MD-PhD program, I was a Post-Baccalaureate Fellow at the National Institutes of Health working with Dr. Thomas Wellems to study how malaria responds to drug treatment. After this experience, I knew I wanted to train in a community where physicians and scientists were working to better global health. I found this community at UNC-Chapel Hill, as part of the IDEEL Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Jonathan Juliano.
Can you describe the design and key findings of your research in Zanzibar and what you discovered about emerging drug-resistant malaria?
Malaria is close to clearing in Zanzibar; however, there have been new cases coming from mainland Tanzania, making the elimination difficult. With new drug-resistant malaria appearing in Tanzania, Zanzibar is more at risk of these drug-resistant strains as well.
How has working in Zanzibar and collaborating with international partners shaped your perspective on malaria research and mentorship?
Through this project, I traveled to Zanzibar to meet with the leadership of the Zanzibar Malaria Elimination Program (ZAMEP), which was foundational to seeing firsthand an example of exceptional international collaboration to help better malaria control in Zanzibar. From study design to implementation to analysis, I have learned from great mentors, including Dr. Jessica Lin and Dr. Jonathan Juliano, who are paragons of caring and thoughtful leadership, to help advance both the research capacity and careers of international colleagues.