Beckman Scholars Program

Katie Berry is a biochemist who explores mechanisms of gene regulation involving non-coding RNAs and RNA-binding proteins. Her research uses the power of molecular genetics to discover and characterize RNA-protein interactions inside of E. coli cells.

Beckman scholars working with Prof. Berry will develop and apply tools of bacterial molecular genetics to study the mechanisms of how small RNAs interact with their protein collaborators across diverse bacteria. including those that cause human disease.

Kyle Broaders is an organic chemist studying and developing the synthesis of responsive polymer biomaterials. His research aims to design, prepare, and understand new materials that respond to their environment.

Beckman scholars working with Prof. Broaders will use techniques from organic, polymer, and materials chemistry to make modified biomaterials that respond to the chemical and biological nature of their environment. These materials may have applications as renewable plastics or as platforms for drug delivery.

Wei Chen is a chemist and materials scientist who studies the fabrication and morphologies of two-dimensional nanomaterials with a strong emphasis on nontoxic materials and their stabilities toward environmental stressors.  

Beckman Scholars working with Prof. Chen will have the opportunity to work with state-of-the-art technology, collaborate on interdisciplinary projects, and engage deeply in the scientific process.

Katie McMenimen is a chemist interested in the interface of chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular neuroscience. Her research focuses on understanding protein-protein interactions, and how these interactions relate to protein folding, protein misfolding, and disease.

Beckman scholars working with Prof. McMenimen will determine how the structure of heat shock proteins underlies their function by using chemical-scale studies. These may include mutational studies, developing synthetic peptides, qPCR analyses, in vitro and/or in vivo functional assays. Research students in the McMenimen lab will gain experience using many techniques to understand the interdisciplinary roles of heat shock proteins in regulating essential cellular functions.

Jared Schwartzer is a behavioral neuroscientist who studies the link between the immune system and brain throughout development. His research focuses on environmental factors during pregnancy that shape brain health

Beckman scholars working with Prof. Schwartzer will explore the impacts of maternal allergies and asthma during pregnancy on offspring social behaviors. Students will study the immune signaling during pregnancy and how it shapes offspring brain and behavior later in life.

Melody Su is a computer scientist with a background in medical robotics. Her work examines the interactions of robotic surgical tools and soft deformable tissue. Her focus is on computer vision, haptics, (medical) robotics, bilateral teleoperation, image segmentation and 3D reconstruction.

Beckman scholars working with Professor Su will explore methods to improve robotic teleoperation experiences by integrating computer vision and AI algorithms to provide vision-based haptic feedback.