In 1988 Ananaba, a native of Nigeria, was finishing his doctorate in cell and molecular biology at Atlanta University and trying to plan the next step in his career. On the advice of his friend, he obtained a catalog that listed research opportunities available at United States government agencies and laboratories, among them CDC. Eventually, Ananaba met with Anderson to discuss potential research projects. Anderson helped Ananaba write a proposal to conduct research in Anderson's lab; and in 1989, Ananaba began his tenure, applying his molecular and cell biology background to the study of respiratory viruses.
Ananaba had not worked with respiratory viruses before coming to Anderson's lab, but brought with him expertise in two important areas: First, he showed his new colleagues the use of the fluorescence-activated cell sorter to separate virus-infected cells from uninfected cells; and second, he had experience in providing the best conditions for growing cells ...
