Myaisha Lucas

A current senior from Raleigh, North Carolina, Myaisha, is majoring in biochemistry at High Point University. At her home institution in North Carolina, she has worked on a proteomics project to elucidate the function of a key kinase involved in the methicillin resistance of Staphylococcus aureus. She has worked under Kate Carroll at The Scripps Research Institute Florida Campus, where she worked on the total synthesis of novel probes for cysteine oxidation. Myaisha has also worked on a carbohydrate chemistry project under Steve Townsend. At Vanderbilt University, she worked toward the total synthesis of a zwitterionic monosaccharide. She has been a student instructor for organic chemistry and co-founder of a student ambassador program aimed at prospective students interested in the natural sciences. In addition to being the Vice President of the American Chemical Society student chapter on her campus, she is involved in nearly every instrumental ensemble on her campus. The clarinet player will attain a Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania and work on a total synthesis project under Dirk Trauner. As for her career, she ultimately hopes to work in drug development within the pharmaceutical industry.