Congratulations to Julia Townsend who was selected as a Carl S. Marvel Memorial Scholar for '22-'23

Congratulations Julia Townsend on being selected as 1 of 2 winners of the Carl S. Marvel Memorial Scholar for '22-'23!

With this award Julia is on her way to infinity, and perhaps beyond. Here's some insight into Julia's background:

"I was born and raised in Rocky Point, New York and received my B.S. in biochemistry from Binghamton University in 2018. I then moved to Tucson to perform research in Dr. Michael Marty’s laboratory, where I am currently a fifth-year graduate student.

My research interests are centered around characterizing the patterns of oligomerization for a group of viral membrane proteins known as viroporins. Viroporins are attractive targets for the development of antiviral compounds. However, these proteins are currently understudied due to analytical challenges, such as their polydispersity and small size. My research uses native or nondenaturing mass spectrometry (MS) to try to better characterize viroporins and their oligomerization, which will ultimately lead to a better understanding of this class of viral proteins and may aid in the development of future pharmaceutical compounds. 

The Carl S. Marvel Memorial Scholarship will provide me with the opportunity to attend conferences, such as the annual meeting for the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS), to share my findings and learn about cutting-edge research."