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2017 IPD Students

2017

Garreck Lenz

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Institution: University of Washington
Faculty Mentor: Marc Lajoie

Garreck’s interests lie at the interface between biochemistry and neurobiology; specifically, he would like to study the proteins and protein interactions related with neurodegenerative diseases. Garreck received his Bachelor’s degree in biology with a focus in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology and a minor in bioethics and humanities from the University of Washington. Garreck has aimed for a career in the field of biomedical research since late high school, after volunteering at a local hospital and at a local laboratory instilled in him an excitement for the world of research and a passion for the world of medicine. From there, Garreck spent two years as an undergraduate working in the Baker Lab at the Institute for Protein Design, which helped focus his interest in the biochemistry of proteins. Garreck also spent a significant part of his undergraduate career working for the UW’s undergraduate neuroscience review journal, Grey Matters, which gave him a wonderful jumpstart to his career studying the brain while also igniting his interest in scientific education and outreach. Through his career, Garreck hopes to balance his interests in research and outreach so he can make the greatest impact on our world as is possible within his power as a scientist


JayLee Morgan

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Institution: University of Washington
Faculty Mentor: Christopher Bahl

JayLee is a rising senior at the University of Washington studying protein design through the Baker Lab and the Institute for Protein Design. This summer she is focusing on disulfide rich antagonists for Staphylococcal enterotoxin A(SEA). The implications of successful completion of this project are significant to both medical application and potential defense against bioterrorism. SEA is a leading cause of food poisoning worldwide, therefore the discovery of a peptide that will inhibit toxin function is a huge step toward a healthier global population. When she is not doing science JayLee enjoys the water (mostly with things that go fast, like boats or jet skis) and is planning to go to medical or graduate school.