Senior Chemistry Unbound major Ayjha Brown attended the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS) November 15-18 in Phoeniz, AZ. Ayjha presented a research poster at the conference, an annual event centering the experiences and professional development of historically excluded community college, undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Ayjha’s attendance at the conference was supported by an ABRCMS travel award. The award which offers complimentary registration, housing, and travel costs to highly qualified applicants.
Ayjha previously worked in the Henry Lab at Emory School of Medicine where she studied the impact of obesity on the immunogenicity of triple-negative breast cancer cells. Last summer, she was a Yale BioMed Amgen Scholar, conducting research with the Braun Lab where her project explored the use of cytokine stimulation to drive endogenous retrovirus expression in renal cell carcinoma and develop therapeutic strategies. Currently, she is an Undergraduate Research Assistant at the Porter Laboratory investigating tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance in leukemia.
Outside of the lab, Ayjah serves as an Academic Success Programs Learning Assistant Captain, supervising and facilitating weekly collaborative group sessions for 22 Learning Assistants. She also lead workshops and panels for Learning Assistants to standardize protocols and increase accessibility and equity in the classroom.
Originally from Montego Bay, Jamaica, Ayjah started her Emory career during the pandemic. “Although she was not on campus for her first year at Emory due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ayjha managed to quickly immerse herself in several aspects of the department and the broader campus community,” says Dr. Antonio Brathwaite. “Ayjha was recognized by the department for her exceptional academic accomplishments last spring when she was awarded the Women in Chemistry Award.”
In her free time, she enjoys fitness, hiking, and trying new restaurants.
Congratulations, Ayjha!