Seven Chemistry students awarded National Science Foundation fellowships

Ryan Anderson

Second-year Ph.D. student
Advisor: Professor J. Patrick Loria

Research: “My project focuses on understanding how proteins transition between multiple conformations to regulate biological function. I am using both nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and computational techniques to study proteins related to numerous diseases, including bacterial infection, cancers, diabetes, and obesity. Understanding how protein motions regulate biological function has the potential to lead to new treatments for a variety of diseases.”

Georgina Collette Dabdoub

Third-year Ph.D. student
Advisor: Professor Sarah Slavoff

Research: “I am studying an uncharacterized human gene, C1ORF122, which undergoes alternative splicing to produce novel protein isoforms using biochemical techniques. Studying C1ORF122 will reveal previously unknown mechanisms by which genetic diversity is generated in organisms and highlight the importance of studying alternative proteins. Furthermore, this gene is thought to have implications in melanoma and Galloway-Mowat syndrome.”

Maria Daniela Guerrero

Second-year Ph.D. student
Advisor: Professor Scott Miller

Research: “We are combining multi-step synthesis with peptide-catalyzed late-stage functionalization of lowly oxidized complex natural products. Accessing novel analogs could facilitate the development of new pharmaceuticals, as well as opening up a chemical space for the functionalization of non-functionalized scaffolds.”

Halle Marvich

Second-year Ph.D. student
Advisor: Professor Scott Miller

Research: “The field of asymmetric catalysis is important in advancing our ability to access enantiomerically pure compounds. In the Miller Lab, we use nature-inspired peptides as chiral catalysts to carry out a wide variety of asymmetric transformations. My research has focused on the development of a novel class of metal-binding peptides for applications in asymmetric organometallic reactions. Currently, I am working to apply this new catalyst class to achieve enantioselective metal-catalyzed oxidations.”

Aurora Miranda 

Second-year Ph.D. student
Advisor: Professor Caitlin Davis

Research: “I study the yeast frataxin homolog Yfh1, which unfolds at both cold and hot temperatures. Through various biophysical techniques, I study how changes in the cellular environment influence the folding behavior of Yfh1. Using Fast Relaxation Imaging (FReI) to study protein folding and dynamics in cells of differentiated zebrafish tissues, my research aims to understand how organisms maintain protein homeostasis in response to thermal stress.”

Zach Boyer

Second-year Ph.D. student
Advisor: Professor Jon Ellman

Research: “An essential feature of modern drug discovery is the development of new chemical functionality toward accessing underexplored and/or unknown chemical space. In pursuit of these goals, novel synthetic methodologies must be developed. In the Ellman Lab, we focus on the development of synthetic organic methodologies for the synthesis of pharmaceutically relevant motifs. Currently, my research focuses on the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of S-methyl and S-cyclopropyl sulfoximines, which are the substitution patterns found in all sulfoximine-containing clinical candidates—importantly, no asymmetric catalytic method for general access to S-methyl or S-cyclopropyl sulfoximines exists.”

Dalaney Westbroek

Senior Undergraduate Student
Advisor: Professor James Mayer
Pursuing graduate studies at MIT in the Fall

Research: “This project investigates porous carbon-coated Prussian Blue Analogues (PBAs) as robust, tunable materials for photo-electrochemical catalysis, particularly targeting hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. By combining mixed-metal PBAs with conductive carbon coatings, the work aims to improve catalyst stability, enable efficient water splitting, and support real-time monitoring through a newly developed photo-electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance technique. Through detailed electrochemical and spectroscopic analyses, the project seeks to reveal new mechanistic insights into charge transfer and surface dynamics under light-driven conditions.

Although this research falls outside my usual focus, I designed the project knowing that the NSF funds people, not just topics—so I aimed to demonstrate that I have the mindset of a scientist and the skills to take on unfamiliar challenges with curiosity, adaptability, and execution.”