Lab research draws Liberty High grad into medical science

NORTH LIBERTY — A bout with Lyme disease that went undiagnosed for some time piqued Leela Strand’s interest in medical science.

Lyme disease — an infection spread to humans from the bite of the deer tick — is usually treatable with a course of antibiotics. But Strand’s infection went undiagnosed for about a year when she was a sixth-grader in the Iowa City Community School District.

Strand, now 18, said she frequently was sick before her Lyme diagnosis. When her knee became inflamed and doctors took a sample of the fluid, she finally was diagnosed with Lyme disease, which was quickly cured.

The ordeal didn’t dampen her enthusiasm. “I remember my sixth grade year quite fondly, although (Lyme disease) limited my mobility for several years,” Strand said.

As a freshman at Liberty High School — where she graduated Saturday with 313 of her peers — Strand began emailing medical laboratories at the University of Iowa to see if she could work with them to gain experience.

“I was able to find someone with a project that a pretty unexperienced freshman in high school could get involved with,” Strand said.

She began working in the lab of Dr. Charles Jennissen, clinical professor of Emergency Medicine, on his research into how equestrian helmet use portrayed in movies could impact cultural safety practices.

“We’ve seen the evolution of helmet use with biking, skiing and other sports. There’s clear evidence with horse riding as to why people should be wearing helmets, but the levels of wearing helmets is low,” Strand said.

They found the vast majority of characters interacting with horses in movies were not wearing a helmet, which reinforces unsafe societal norms.

Through the research, Strand learned how to collect, organize and analyze data. She even traveled with the UI team to Australia in 2022 to present findings at the World Conference on Injury Prevention & Safety.

Another project Strand has been a part of is researching arthritis as a late-stage complication of Lyme disease in the lab of Dr. Christine Petersen, a professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the UI.

“It’s really incredible,” Strand said. “I feel really lucky to have had the opportunity. I feel like I have a better idea of what I’m interested in my career because of that. It’s transformative to be in an environment where I’m such an amateur and can take in so much.”

Strand is attending Harvard University this fall to study the History of Science with minors in Global Health and Health Policy. She wants to pursue a career in public health.

Strand also has been heavily involved in her community while in high school. She was one of the first to serve on the North Liberty Youth Council, which was established in 2022, as a way for high school students to develop leadership skills, plan and host community events and support the community through service projects.

While on the council, Strand helped organize youth mental health conferences, hygiene drives and youth basketball tournaments, among other things.

“I think youth voice is really important, and it’s really cool the City Council created something like the North Liberty Youth Council. It’s a unique opportunity,” Strand said.

Strand also sat on the state’s Youth Advisory Council, which seeks to inform lawmakers on issues important to youths and provide an opportunity to engage in policymaking.

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