Riley Gillis is part of the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) Nevada Program. The goal of MARC Nevada is to increase diversity in the biomedical sciences by supporting students who aim to pursue a Ph.D. or M.D.-Ph.D.
Gillis, an Honors student, is in his third year and is double majoring in public health and microbiology and immunology and minoring in analytical organic chemistry.
Gillis knew from a young age he wanted to go to college. In fifth grade, he read a book about Ebola and became interested in diseases. He knew he wanted to learn more about them.
Gillis is from Reno and attended Hug High School, which he said prepared him well for college. Once he started college though, he had to decide what path he would take. He feels confident about pursuing a Ph.D. but is debating whether he’d like to add a M.D.
“The more difficult decision for me was, ‘What’s the end goal?’” Gillis said.
Gillis said one thing that is important to him is that the research he conducts actually benefits the people in the location he’s studying diseases. The research needed for developing vaccinations or treatments might involve traveling to places where diseases are endemic. Gillis is considering an M.D., he said, because he wants to be able to provide medical care to the people in places he’s visiting that might be underserved.
Gillis works in David AuCoin’s lab at the ÍƼöÐÓ°ÉÔ´´ School of Medicine. When Gillis attended NevadaFIT, the microbiology and immunology students toured labs at the medical school. During the tour he met Heather Green, a postdoctoral researcher working in AuCoin’s lab. Green and Gillis spoke after the tour and Green mentioned her work with Ebola, which piqued Gillis’s attention. Gillis reached out during the first semester of his freshman year to see if he could work in the research lab. He began as a cell culture apprentice and has worked there since.
Gillis’s work is primarily related to infectious diseases with a particular focus on making diagnostic tests for tropical pathogens. To make the tests, Gillis generates hybrid cancer-immune cells, termed “hybridomas.” These cancer cells reproduce quickly and also generate large quantities of antibodies, the critical protein used to develop rapid tests (like COVID-19 nasal swabs or pregnancy tests). Gillis said many diseases have “nonspecific” symptoms, which could be the result of many different types of illnesses. For example, a headache could be the result of a cold, the flu, some mosquito-borne encephalitis or simply dehydration. That makes diagnosis incredibly challenging.
“If you’re unable to pinpoint what exactly afflicts someone, then you’re not able to give them the right kind of care,” Gillis said.
By developing tests to rapidly detect and diagnose understudied pathogens, Gillis can pursue his interest in helping resource-limited countries.
“Rapid tests improve disease-fighting capacity, especially among pathogens with known treatments that present with nonspecific symptoms,” Gillis said.
Beyond the many technical skills Gillis has gained working in the research lab, such as animal research (including surgical procedures), advanced biosafety practices and benchtop experiments, Gillis said the MARC Nevada program has taught him to be independent. As part of the program, students are required to seek out a lab rotation in another research lab and to present at conferences which sometimes require travel.
“It’s taught me to trust myself more and be comfortable with knowing, whatever happens, you'll figure it out,” Gillis said.
For his rotation, Gillis worked with Samuel Lee, the Chair of Medicine and Chief of Internal Medicine at the School of Medicine. Dr. Lee has a Ph.D. and M.D. and has been a valuable mentor for Gillis during his journey. Over the summer, Gillis led a team of researchers in Dr. Lee’s lab focused on discovering new treatments for emerging fungal pathogens. His research targeted Candida auris, an invasive yeast microbe that kills 30-60% of those infected and affects more people in Nevada than any other state. Gillis plans on publishing with Hannah Schultz, medical student and co-author, in the near future.
MARC Nevada is also providing funding support for Gillis to participate in a biosafety level 3 training in January 2025. The training is being offered in Southern California where Gillis will travel to learn about advanced safety techniques for studying particularly dangerous infectious diseases. He looks forward to continuing to add to his knowledge and skills in disease research.
Beyond his work in the MARC Nevada program, Gillis is involved with the medical fraternity on campus, having served as the vice president of programming. Outside campus, Gillis enjoys the company of friends, hiking, and riding motorcycles. He is also involved in public service, meeting with and assisting the President of the United States and other White House staff when they visit Nevada.
Gillis is also a concert pianist. He thought for a time that he might go to college for music and though he ended up studying biomedical sciences, he still works toward accomplishing musical goals. He participated in Artown as principal pianist of the Northern Nevada String Serenade and the Ruby Mountain Symphony Orchestra in July. Gillis recently recorded his first album, which is available on and .
MARC Nevada provides students with a stipend, travel and tuition support so they can focus on their work in the lab and their academics. Gillis said it helps him prioritize his academics rather than worrying about getting a certain number of hours in at the lab to make rent.
“It makes a world of difference,” Gillis said.
For Gillis, doing what he loves, being honest with his fellow researchers, advocating for himself, and having his priorities straight make all his activities easier to balance. Lauren Netzel, the graduate teaching assistant for the MARC Nevada program, gave Gillis an analogy that he felt was useful for balancing his busy workload.
“Life is like juggling balls,” Gillis recalled. “Some of the balls are glass balls and the other ones are plastic. You can always drop the plastic ones. That's fine. Just don't drop the glass ones and know which is which.”
Gillis’s favorite parts of being involved in the MARC Nevada program are the people and the way “the outside world disappears” when he walks into the lab. Some of the people Gillis shared his appreciation for are Sujata Pandit and Vanessa Berner, for their guidance in and out of the lab.
“They're super supportive and have helped me through a lot, whether it's life advice or traversing the stresses of being an adult,” Gillis said.
He also thanked Marcellene Hollingsworth for her role in helping him apply for, among other programs, MARC Nevada.
Gillis also expressed appreciation for his friends and family for their support of his participation in the MARC Nevada program, as well as to AuCoin for fostering a positive work culture in the research lab.
Gillis is one of many students who truly exemplifies The Wolf Pack Way.
