Mentor: Rick Cerione

Education:

Oregon State University – B.S., Biochemistry and Biophysics (2021)

Awards and Honors

• URSA Engage Research Award (2018)
• Evergreen State Scholarship (2017-2021)
• Certified Degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) (2021)

Research Experience:

• Research Assistant, Tyler Lab, Oregon State U., Sept 2018 – June 2021
• Analytical Development Team Member, Absci, Vancouver, WA, June 2021 – July 2023

Current Research Activities:

Glutaminolysis plays a critical role in the metabolic reprogramming that occurs in cancer cells, where they become “glutamine addicted” instead of relying on glucose for energy. Our lab has shown that several viruses (including SARS-CoV-2) appear to exhibit this same reprogramming. The goal of my project is to determine the extent to which glutamine is hijacked by different families of viruses during infection of mammalian cells, as well as examining the effect of glutamine dependence on viral replication. The glutaminase family of enzymes are responsible for catalyzing the first step of glutaminolysis – hydrolysis of glutamine to glutamate – which culminates with α-ketoglutarate entering the TCA cycle. To understand the importance of glutaminase catalytic activity for viral activity, I plan to investigate the effects of newly synthesized glutaminase inhibitors on viruses that are determined to be dependent on glutamine metabolism. This will allow us to determine whether these compounds can be used as a broad therapeutic strategy for viral infections.