One of Christopher Martin's research projects centers around the cichlid populations in Lake Malawi in Africa, and how they control the spread of a certain kind of parasite. The fish he will be studying are similar to these cichlids he has in a tank at his Spotsylvania home.

Christopher Martin leaves soon for several overseas research projects. A biologist, Martin is also an accomplished metal artist.

Distinguished recent college graduate receives a Fulbright scholarship and several opportunities to research animal and insect species overseas.

By REBEKAH ELLIOTT

Date published: 6/28/2005

REEPY, CRAWLY INSECTS might horrify some, but Christopher Martin finds them fascinating. As a teen, he waged ant wars while others might have been playing Nintendo or watching the latest movie release.

Martin's interest has remained intense. He graduated from Duke University this past month with a bachelor's degree in biology and the highest award in biological science offered by the school.

Several months ago, the scientific scholar also found out he had received a Fulbright Research Grant which is awarded to about 1,000 students nationally out of scores of entries from close to 600 colleges across the country. Martin will receive $24,000 to study human parasites in Malawi for 10 months as part of a project to study the balance between cichlids and the human parasite that causes "snail fever."

Cichlids are of particular interest to him, with his introduction to them early in life. "It started when dad brought home a beta fish when I was 3," Martin said, elucidating for those uninitiated into scientific exactness, that a freshwater angel fish is one type of cichlid. It's just a type of fish, not uncommon, he explained off-handedly.

But before he leaves for Malawi, Martin will be leaving this Friday for Madagascar for eight months to help with a lemur research project.

Madagascar won't be the 2001 Chancellor High School graduate's first overseas trip.

The young scientist has already been to Costa Rica, Bermuda, Trinidad and Amazonian Peru doing research while in college.

He's checked in 300-bagged guppies with an airline to bring them back to America, which he described as "the worst day I had of college life."

He's been chased up a tree by wild peccaries, pig-like hoofed animal. "About 100 came out at me," he related matter-of-factly.

The tall, thin 21-year-old explained that in Madagascar he'll be collecting lemur dung to measure levels of testosterone.

A grin perpetually tugs at his mouth and his eyes turn quickly from solemn to easy laughter during the course of the conversation.

Martin explained lemurs are more like monkeys than scientists thought, and one course of investigation is infanticide among them.

After a sad "oh" escaped the listener at the thought, his eyes twinkled and he illuminated the gruesome-sounding issue with a story about the lead researcher on the project.

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Date published: 6/28/2005