Anthropology and biology major relies on ancient DNA for modern interdisciplinary study

Emily Winnicki ’25 immersed herself with both curricular and campus opportunities at The College of Wooster. The anthropology and biology major from Medina, Ohio also completed a minor in history, two pathways in museum and archival studies and public health, and she interned in Special Collections in the College library. Additionally, Winnicki served as assistant costume shop manager and participated in Ballroom Dance Club and Danza Zumba.  

For her Independent Study, Winnicki explored the plague in China from multiple perspectives. Focusing on the second plague pandemic, which European historians refer to as the “Black Death,” she used ancient DNA to find out if there were changes in the immune system of people of Chinese descent following the pandemic. 

“My study looks to understand how the plague impacted life and medical literature in China at the time of the pandemic and how it might have changed human genetics through the process of natural selection.” 

—Emily Winnicki ’25 

MY I.S.  

Winnicki: The plague was caused by the bacterium, Yersinia pestis. A portion of my project asked what insights can be gained from studying historical Chinese medical texts. Since traditional Chinese medicine focuses on symptoms instead of the disease diagnosis, I focused on symptoms that might be caused by Y. pestis infection. The second portion of my I.S. asked if the human immune system has evolved in response to the plague. I used computational methods similar to those used in studies on European populations. The goal was to identify specific portions of the genome that changed in frequency when comparing individuals who died prior to the plague and those who died after the plague. Due to limitations of my project, I was unable to conclude that the plague caused the immune system to evolve. My project provided a foundation for future research that will study the implications that the plague had on the human immune system. 

EXCITING ASPECTS 

Winnicki: I really loved my I.S. and was excited to explore a topic that I have been interested in for a long time. My passion for history and medicine started from a young age when my mother would take my siblings and me to tons of different science and history museums around Ohio.  By college, I realized that I was fascinated by infectious diseases, specifically historical outbreaks and human genetics. My I.S. allowed me to combine these interests into a single project. My continued excitement about the topic made it easier to dedicate time to working on it.    

EMPOWERED IN MY FIELD 

Winnicki: I had two major goals in developing my research question. First, I wanted my I.S. to combine skill sets I had gained from multiple departments. My second goal was to make all aspects of my I.S., both in written and oral form, accessible across the disciplines. Both science and humanities disciplines often use a lot of jargon that makes it hard for people outside of those disciplines to understand what is being said. This inaccessibility can make it challenging for scholars to collaborate with those who have different backgrounds. My I.S. empowered me to approach a research question from multiple angles, which allowed for a more complete evaluation of the question. It also empowered me to make my knowledge accessible to others. I plan to have similar goals when working on my Ph.D. 

SUPPORTIVE SCOT COMMUNITY 

Winnicki: By senior year, I often joked that I did not just have my two I.S. advisors, Dr. Dean Fraga and Dr. Margaret Ng, I actually had an advising team.​​ Emeritus Professor, Dr. William Morgan helped me with the computational portion of my project. My project was also influenced by my experience on the Wooster Summer in Tuscany TREK with ​​Dr. Madonna Hettinger. During this trip, I was able to study the plague where it occurred. I also was supported by Gillian Lee in the Writing Center, my amazing supervisor in Special Collections, Denise Monbarren, and various friends and classmates. This team of supporters not only challenged me to go further with my project, but they also kept me sane while completing it. I could not have done it without them. 

MY TAKEAWAYS 

Winnicki celebrates by taking photos at Kauke Hall with an inflatable tootsie roll. Photo courtesy Emily Winnicki.

Winnicki: I.S. taught me that research can be really challenging, especially when it needs to be completed in such a short time frame. But it also taught me some ways to manage, if not overcome, these challenges. One major challenge I had to overcome in my project was accepting that research is never finished. I could continue to explore this project for years on end, and there would always be new questions that I could ask or new ways in which to explore previously asked questions. I also learned that it is okay if research does not result in a definitive conclusion answering a research question. I cannot say when the second plague pandemic started in China, how many people died, or if our immune system evolved because of it. However, I can conclude that interdisciplinary research is necessary in order to someday answer these questions. Sometimes you need to be the one to start the research even if you are not the one who will finish the research.

CELEBRATION! 

Winnicki: Upon turning in my I.S., I went to lunch at Broken Rocks Café and Bakery. On I.S. Monday, I joined the I.S. parade and hung out with some of my friends on campus. I also celebrated with friends, family, and faculty at the I.S. Symposium. 

WHAT’S NEXT 

Winnicki: I will be starting a Ph.D. program this fall at the University of Kansas to study anthropological genetics under ​​Dr. Kelsey Jorgensen. I received the ​​Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship which provides four years of funding for my Ph.D. along with professional development in areas such as communication, innovation, and leadership. 

Featured image: Emily Winnicki ’25 with her I.S. Symposium poster.

Posted in Independent Study on June 20, 2025.