Hello,

I am a graduate student at NYU in Documentary Journalism, but I have an extensive background in science—plant ecology in particular. I have a degree in tropical botany and terrestrial ecology, and I’ve done field research in the U.S. and in Panama. My career goal is to make science fun and accessible to people by creating interesting, experimental documentary films and television series.

My thesis documentary will focus on various parasites of people. I plan to weave storytelling, biology, folk tales and traditional remedies from around the world, and modern research involving parasites together to create a rich story. The film will be submitted to film festivals and shopped around to television networks upon completion. And I am hoping to do an audio version of part of my project for the NPR show ‘Radiolab’—this project has legs in the real world.

I am in search of contacts for both the film and the radio project—preferably contacts near New York City. I am trying to locate parasitologists who are researching the treatment of people with autoimmune diseases with parasites—or who are knowledgeable about these new findings. I am also trying to find people who have undergone experimental treatments with parasites, though doctor-patient confidentiality might make this impossible. I’m looking for people who have an autoimmune disease and who are interested in participating in future parasite studies, and I’m looking for parasitologists who would be interested in appearing on camera to explain their own research, individual parasite biology and human response. I’m in search of people who are knowledgeable about the ‘Hygiene Hypothesis.’ And finally, I am in search of ethnobotanists, traditional healers and any sort of folk remedies or tales about parasites that I can find.

I’d appreciate any help, advice, or referrals, as I am just beginning to make contacts for this project.

Many thanks!
-Sharon