Sydni Alexis Elebra is a chemistry PhD candidate at Emory University. She is pursuing her thesis research under the mentorship of Dr. Christine Dunham as a NIH-IMSD, Centennial, and Laney fellow.

Sydni Alexis’s research aims to investigate the mechanism of action for a novel compound shown to perturb the ribosome rescue pathway in E. coli.

“Sydni is a smart and mature graduate student who has deep commitment to diversity and inclusion,” says Dr. Christine Dunham. “One thing that is evident upon speaking with Sydni, is her willingness to engage in open and transparent dialogue and I think this ability helped her to identify open questions in her research project and attempt to push the boundaries of her science.”

“Sydni has been an engaged member of our NIH-funded MARC/IMSD community where she has shared her passion for research and her experiences,” says Dr. Anita Corbett, Senior Associate Dean of Research Emory College and Co-Director of the IMSD Program in which Sydni Alexis is a fellow. “Her commitment to building a more inclusive STEM community is clear and this likely contributed to the Broader Impacts of her successful NSF GRFP.”

“One thing that is evident upon speaking with Sydni, is her willingness to engage in open and transparent dialogue and I think this ability helped her to identify open questions in her research project and attempt to push the boundaries of her science.“

Dr. Christine Dunham

Prior to attending Emory, Sydni Alexis earned a B.Sc. in Chemistry from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. During her time at Wayne State, she was an undergraduate researcher supported by NIH-BUILD and NIH-MARC research programs.

“Sydni is a creative and kind person, and these qualities make her all the more an amazing scientist,” says graduate colleague Taylor Blackburn. “She is a true scientific explorer, willing to venture into uncharted territory to find new answers. She is an exemplary role model for scientists both junior and senior to her, and I would say the NSF is lucky to have her as a fellow!”

Congratulations, Sydni!