Graduate scholar Ana Cheng has been awarded a Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Research Fellowship, an F31 award. The purpose of this Kirschstein-NRSA program is to enable promising predoctoral students with potential to develop into productive, independent research scientists to obtain mentored research training while conducting dissertationthe written work that represents the culmination of a studen... research. The program also seeks to enhance the diversityin academia, used to refer to the recognition of a wide rang... of the health-related research workforce by supporting the research training of predoctoral students from population groups that have been shown to be underrepresented in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research workforce. The proposed mentored research training is expected to clearly enhance the individual’s potential to develop into a productive, independent research scientist.
Ana came to Emory in 2017 after earning her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the New College of Florida. Due to her interest in antibacterials, she joined the Wuest Lab where she has worked on MRSA membrane disruptors for the past two years. The fellowshipa monetary award provided to support a student’s education... award will support her study of small molecule inhibitors of the bacterial repressor-protease LexA, which controls the SOS Response. Ana is also active with Spectrum, serving as its graduate ambassador.