Grace H
- Research Program Mentor
PhD at Duke University
Expertise
Biochemistry, biology, cancer research, animal science, microbiology
Bio
I a Biochemist in the laboratory of Dr. Richard Brennan, Chair of the Department of Biochemistry at Duke University. As an undergraduate student at New Mexico State University, I proactively sought opportunities to engage in scientific research and was able to spend summers as an intern in labs at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (as an HHMI scholar) and at Yale University (as a research intern). These opportunities catalyzed my commitment to pursue an advanced academic career in bioscience. Outside of the lab, my biggest hobby is my English setter puppy! I also love gardening, reading, drawing, and watching vintage films.Project ideas
Structural Analysis of Protein Function
My current field of training is in protein structure through X-ray crystallography. Peptide chains fold into secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures that form three dimensional protein structures. Understanding these protein structures helps elucidate function of proteins and why some mutations can cause disease. I can work with a student with a protein of interest (for example, one commonly mutated in a disease of interest) to help them learn prediction software to look at the structure. They can perform a literature search on mutations in this protein and represent these mutations visually and summarize how these mutations abrogate protein function.