Maia Vierengel is a second-year graduate student in the Salaita Group. She took interest in the connection between the glycocalyx, the sugar-coated matrix surrounding cell membranes, and cancer progression. Her current projects investigate how the glycocalyx and protein glycosylation can affect a cell’s ability to interpret and respond to forces. By uncovering how these pathways interact, she hopes to elucidate alternative treatment strategies to prevent or slow metastasis. 

“Congratulations to Maia on winning the NSF GRFP!” says Dr. Khalid Salaita. “She has shown immense creativity and drive in developing her project and I am so thrilled to see her being recognized with this award. I am particularly excited to see her take on a new frontier investigating how sugars can fine tune the forces transmitted between a cell and its surrounding matrix.”

Maia earned her B.S. in biochemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At UNC, she conducted research in both the Alexanian and Hicks Labs studying C-C bond formation via nickel catalysis and antimicrobial peptide discovery, respectively. 

“[Maia] has shown immense creativity and drive in developing her project and I am so thrilled to see her being recognized with this award.“

Dr. Khalid Salaita

“Working with Maia on her NSF application was great because she made me feel like I understood everything she was trying to accomplish with her research,” says communications manager, Kira Walsh. “I was also impressed to learn about her work as a virtual tutor during the pandemic and her creation of a podcast designed to reach young people learning about chemistry. She is clearly passionate about finding ways to reach people interested in learning about STEM.”

Outside of lab, Maia serves as a Student Advocacy for Full Engagement (SAFE) representative for the Graduate Committee and as an executive member of the Association for Women In Science (AWIS). She loves to paint and play music — she helped facilitate a Salaita Lab sip ‘n’ paint and plays saxophone in Emory’s own graduate student band, Schrödinger’s Dog! 

Congratulations, Maia!