Malcolm O'Malley is a second-year biomedical engineering PhD student at the University of Virginia who specializes in cardiac immunology. His research focuses on how the immune system contributes to heart disease, particularly after events like heart attacks and high blood pressure.
“What kinds or forms of academic research do you conduct? What topics or questions do you explore?”
O'Malley conducts computational research focused on immune system responses in cardiovascular disease. “I use a lot of computational modeling to identify the intracellular signaling networks of immune cells,” he explained. His systems biology approach integrates different types of data to map networks of genes, proteins, and cells, moving beyond isolated components to model how immune cells interact and behave in disease settings.
“What was your journey into academic research like? How did you get involved, and what motivated or inspired you?”
His curiosity started at age 17 after discovering a shellfish allergy. "I was both fascinated and confused by how my immune system could suddenly react so strongly to something I'd eaten my whole life. That curiosity stuck with me through college. As an undergrad, I sat in on a lab meeting where they were studying intracellular signaling using computational methods. I realized research was a space where I could ask big questions that didn't have clear answers, and maybe uncover something no else had seen before. That sense of discovery is what drew me in, and it's what keeps me going."
“How has learning about and conducting research impacted you? Have any of your beliefs, habits, or perspectives changed as a result?”
O’Malley stated that research taught him to embrace uncertainty and failure. "In research there's no answer key. You can't just study a textbook and expect to get everything right. You often fail a lot, but when something finally does work and you discover something new, that moment is unforgettable.” He also reflected on the persistence it requires: “It's taught me to be patient, persistent, and open to contradiction. Some of the coolest findings come from things that don't make sense at first.” Still, he says, the payoff is huge: And it's exciting to think you might be the only person in the world working on your specific question!"
“Can you share a moment when your research felt especially meaningful or had an impact beyond the lab/classroom? Or more generally, in what ways do you think your or your field's research is important to the wider community?”
One highlight came when he presented his work on neutrophils to the immunology community. As a second-year student, it was his first time sharing at that level, and the response surprised him: a professor reached out afterward, interested in collaborating. “Right now, they’re actually doing experiments based on my presentation I gave a few weeks ago,” he remarked. For O’Malley, it showed that research, especially computational, can directly shape experimental work and spark real-world impact, even early in a career.
“Why do you think it's important for young people, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, to understand and engage with research?”
"If the same kinds of people keep asking the same kinds of questions, we'll keep getting the same science,” he said. He emphasized the value of diverse experiences in asking different questions and generating innovative science. He gave a great example from his own field: years of studying only male subjects in heart disease research meant crucial sex-specific differences were overlooked. “When people with different backgrounds and experiences enter research, they ask different questions. New perspectives lead to new discoveries, and new discoveries lead to new treatments. We need diverse voices to drive diverse science," he said.
“What advice would you give to someone just starting out or curious about getting into research?”
“Just show up, be curious, and stay consistent.” O'Malley wants students to know that inexperience is expected: “Don't worry about not knowing everything - nobody does at the beginning.” He believes curiosity will carry you through all the setbacks and all the failed experiments. “If you come in with genuine interest, people will see it and want to help you grow. That's how I got started, and that's how most researchers do."
“Finally, why should we, as a society, continue to support academic research and stay enthusiastic about it? What would the world lose if we didn't?”
He pointed to the often delayed, yet life-changing impacts of basic science. “Some of the most powerful breakthroughs in medicine came from questions that seemed trivial, like how bacteria fight viruses or how a flower from Madagascar affects cells,” he noted, explaining how chemotherapy for childhood leukemia originated from studies on the Madagascar periwinkle—boosting survival rates from 10% to 90%. With these examples, O’Malley emphasized the importance of research. “Academic research is where the longshots happen, where curiosity drives the question. If we stop supporting research, we're not just slowing progress, we're walking away from future breakthroughs that could transform lives in ways we haven't even imagined yet. When we walk away from research, we walk away from possibility."
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