Bullseye on Public Health

There's one thing Rachel Lipman’s friends know not to do on a hike: forget the bug spray. After nearly three years of studying the bacteria that causes Lyme disease and the ticks that carry it, Lipman is adamant about prevention.

“I’m the resident Lyme disease expert among my friends,” she says laughing, “and I’m hyper aware of the risks of disease. So, I’m always careful to take precautions.”

Rachel is a Ph.D. student working in the Department of Veterinary Medicine. Under the guidance of Dr. Utpal Pal, she is helping develop a vaccine to prevent Lyme disease, a bacterial infection caused by a bite from an infected black-legged tick, also known as a deer tick. The disease can cause a host of symptoms that, left untreated, can become debilitating and linger for years if not life. In the U.S., 300,000 new cases are reported every year. Although it occurs in nearly every state, it is most common in the Northeast, Upper Midwest and Northwestern states.

A native of Los Angeles, Lipman did not know much about Lyme disease before moving to Maryland in late 2021, but she knew she wanted to work in a lab that focused on infectious disease. She had been waiting for the opportunity to study at UMD since she first visited on a college tour during high school. She fell in love with the campus, and committed herself to coming here for graduate school after earning her bachelor’s degree at UCLA.

“I was really excited by the Biological Sciences Ph.D. program that I’m in now,” Lipman said. “I was excited by the faculty and what they were doing, not to mention the local institutional collaborations. I had been emailing Dr. Pal before I started the program, because I was interested in the opportunity to study the molecular biology of an infectious disease like Lyme disease and work in an area that focused on the translation of research into real world solutions.” As a molecular biologist, Lipman is exploring the function of a novel, uncharacterized protein produced by Borrelia, the bacteria that causes the disease. She’s trying to identify precisely where within the bacterial cell the protein is made. There is reason to believe the protein may help carry toxins or related molecules across bacterial membranes into their hosts. If that is the case, Lipman and her colleagues may be able to develop a vaccine that blocks the production of the protein or interferes with its function and prevents Borrelia from causing infections.

“If we can target this or any protein necessary for Borellia to cause infection for therapeutics or vaccines, it would have a big impact on public health,” Lipman said.

Lyme disease captured her imagination because, although it can be treated with antibiotics if it’s caught early enough, the tick that carries it is so small it often goes undetected on the body, and the wide range of symptoms that can mimic other illnesses makes the disease difficult to diagnose.

“I’m really interested in how no one seems to experience it quite the same,” she said. “There is the telltale bullseye rash around the site of the tick bite in the early localized stage, but then there’s arthritis, carditis, even facial palsy in the late disseminated stages. Even years later people can have these strange, debilitating and lingering symptoms that are caused by a tick bite from long ago, maybe even after antibiotic treatment. And the thing is, it is so preventable.”

That’s where bug spray comes in of course, and checking for ticks after being in the woods. But even a foray into the back yard or garden can mean a run in with ticks, and pets that go outside can bring deer ticks into the house. As climate change increases, and the ticks’ range and active season expands, Lyme disease is expected to become more prevalent. For Lipman and her colleagues in Pal’s lab, a vaccine is the swiftest way to prevent millions of future infections.

“That’s why I wanted to pursue a Ph.D., so that I could attack public health crises from the molecular biology side and understand the biology of a disease as a means to better prevent or treat it. I love science and research, and I enjoy problem solving. I think, like anyone, I just want to make a positive impact in the world.” When she finishes her Ph.D., Lipman plans to stay in the D.C. area, where she can apply her degree to public health issues, possibly even working in or with government agencies. “I really like living here, even if it is tick country, and I don’t plan to go back to California,” she said. “Thankfully, Dr. Pal has introduced me to a lot of great collaborators at the NIH and various institutions.”

by Kimbra Cutlip : Momentum Magazine Winter 2025