Elise is a second-year graduate student in the Wuest lab. Her research focuses on the total synthesis and biological investigation of natural products that target bacterial biofilm and studying how disinfectants influence virulence in bacteria. 

Elise received her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Northern Kentucky University in 2022 and conducted research under Dr. Amber Onorato where she synthesized small molecules with potential antimicrobial activity.

Outside of lab, Elise is a Member-at-Large of chemistry’s Student Advocacy for Full Engagement (SAFE) and serves as a mentor via Emory’s chapter of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS).

In her free time, she enjoys cooking, playing the violin, and spending time with her animals when she’s back in Ohio!

“I have seen firsthand how Elise’s confidence and clear directions have helped her work in a number of collaborations in the group already.”

Dr. Bill Wuest

In the NSF GRFP application, Elise specifically proposed research focused on the biomimetic total synthesis and biological investigation of a family of natural products that have anti-quorum sensing activity, which regulates certain virulence factors in bacteria. “I am interested in understanding how a key structural motif found in the family of natural products may modulate the biological activity against gram-negative bacteria,” she says.

Advisor Bill Wuest speaks to Elise’s bold approach to research: “I have seen firsthand how Elise’s confidence and clear directions have helped her work in a number of collaborations in the group already.” He notes that the idea for the research is “completely hers,” forging new directions for the group, including a new partnership with the Salaita lab. “I have always been particularly impressed by her overarching hypothesis and curiosity into how the molecule functions in the quorum sensing pathways and what the potential target is. Her synthetic route is concise and well-founded on strong synthetic precedents and her proposed biological experiments are well thought-out and likely to be successful.”

“Elise excels in her ability to meticulously dive deep into a scientific problem in order to understand the broader context of the phenomena she is studying,” adds Christian Sanchez, a recent graduate alum who has worked closely with Elise in the Wuest lab. “This only inspires her further to try new experiments, find new ways of thinking, and relentlessly pursue her science.”

In addition to the NSF recognition, Elise received a Biological Discoveries through Chemical Innovation (BDCI) seed grant to support her research efforts with Salaita lab colleague Vageesha Herath. She is also a Women in Natural Sciences (WiNS) Fellow at Emory.

Congratulations, Elise!