Class of 2025: Muhammed Camara conducts breakthrough research on mosquito-borne viruses
From fieldwork in West Africa to labs in Blacksburg, Camara’s research is building knowledge where little existed before.
Name: Muhammed Camara
College: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Field of study: Entomology
Plans after graduation: Pursuing a Ph.D. in entomology at Virginia Tech
Favorite Hokie memory: Getting a taste of his home culture at Virginia Tech's annual Experience Africa event. “Sometimes you want to spend time with someone who understands your culture. Experience Africa has everyone wearing their country’s cultural outfits and cultural food and music. That has been something that I cannot forget.”
Mission mindset
When Camara arrived in Blacksburg in late 2022, it wasn’t just to earn a master’s degree in entomology. He came with a mission: to investigate the mosquito-borne viruses that affect communities like the one where he grew up in The Gambia.
"Growing up in a country where malaria is a constant reality, I saw entire villages struggle because of a single mosquito bite,” he said. “I’ve had malaria more than 10 times in my life. Those experiences stayed with me, and they were the reason I fell in love with public health research.”
Studying abroad to serve back home
After earning his undergraduate degree in public and environmental health from the University of The Gambia, Camara joined a malaria research team with the Medical Research Council. It was there that his interest in arboviruses – viruses transmitted by arthropods like mosquitoes and ticks – was sparked by a mystery illness.
"I had seen cases of people coming in with symptoms of malaria, but they tested negative,” he said. "So I started being curious about what is causing this.”
This led him to connect with Gillian Eastwood, associate professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Department of Entomology, who was in The Gambia studying arbovirus transmission. Camara offered to contribute to her project, but Eastwood had a better idea.
"She asked me, ‘Why not come here as a master's student and work on this project?’" he said. “That’s how I first saw myself at VT.”
New knowledge for an understudied region
Camara’s work with Eastwood has led to the detection of three arboviruses for the first time in The Gambia. Because these diseases weren’t previously known to be in the country, people weren’t being tested for them. He had found his mystery illness.
“When our team detected Bunyamwera virus, Ngari virus, and Sindbis virus circulating in mosquitoes, something never documented in my country, I thought about the communities I grew up around, the people I care about, and how this research could one day help protect them,” he said.
By the time he was writing his master’s thesis on mosquito species diversity and arbovirus prevalence across The Gambia, he had processed over 40,000 mosquito specimens and identified 52 mosquito species from 12 genera across the country's diverse habitats.
"This is the first detailed survey of mosquito species in the country since the 1950s," Camara said. "We didn't know some of these viruses were circulating in the country because there was no data."
Supported and inspired at Virginia Tech
Though the cultural transition to the U.S. was a challenge, Camara said Virginia Tech’s many support systems got him through it.
"The cultural diversity was amazing," he said. "But I had to adapt to cultural differences, like making sure people understand my accent. Virginia Tech was very helpful, especially the graduate school and the African Graduate Students Organization.”
Camara credits entomology mentors, like Eastwood, now his advisor, and Associate Professor Sally Paulson, for helping him be successful.
"Muhammed is great person to work with,” Eastwood said. “He’s enthusiastic to understand new concepts, he bounces back from challenges, and he’s always a jolly face around the lab.”
Paulson, who taught Camara in her virology course, said she noticed his enthusiasm immediately.
"From the start, he stood out as a curious and enthusiastic learner,” she said. “His excitement about research was contagious. It’s been truly rewarding to watch him grow into a skilled and confident arbovirologist."
It wasn’t just emotional support he received. Camara was awarded the PASET Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund by CALS Global, which supports international graduate students working on global challenges. As part of the award, he’s helping organize a leadership training program for students focused on applying sustainable development goals in real-world contexts.
A full-circle moment
After graduation, Camara plans to continue this work in his Ph.D. program, which begins next semester, focusing on how certain mosquito species transmit viruses to humans.
He remains excited about the good his research might do back in The Gambia, but that wasn’t the only reason he chose to pursue a doctorate.
Earlier this year, Camara and his wife welcomed their first child, a daughter named Maimuna. Balancing fatherhood, financial pressure, and academic work wasn't easy, but it reinforced his commitment to continuing his education.
"She is my world and everything to me," he said. "I had a plan of working after my master’s, but after deep conversations with my wife, we decided it's better to do a Ph.D. because this is a good opportunity."
Commencement is just a few weeks away, and Camara is eager to get back to work. He said there’s still more he can give back to his home country.
"As I graduate, my hope is simple,” he said. “I want to take everything I’ve learned here back to West Africa, back home. I want to help build local capacity, strengthen mosquito and virus surveillance, and create opportunities for young scientists who come from places like The Gambia, where talent is abundant, but resources are limited.”
