The award from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation honors “exceptionally talented” undergraduates.
David Lee, a junior majoring in chemistry, and Perla Giles, a junior majoring in molecular microbiology, have been chosen to participate in WashU’s Beckman Scholars Program. Created by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, the program is intended to provide “in-depth, sustained undergraduate research experiences for exceptionally talented, full-time undergraduate students.”
Lee and Giles will each receive $21,000 to cover the cost of scientific supplies, travel to symposia, and a student stipend. Mentors for each student will also receive $5,000.
Lee studies apolipoprotein E (ApoE), a protein that has been linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. His work is focused on understanding how a particular sequence of ApoE4 modulates its activity and how ApoE interacts with other proteins implicated in Alzheimer’s disease.
He was nominated by his mentor Meredith Jackrel, an associate professor of chemistry. “David has shown strong drive and determination to pursue research,” Jackrel said. “He thinks deeply and creatively about the questions he is pursuing and has very high potential for a research career.”
Giles is working on a project to develop an RNA editing tool using cutting-edge CRISPR-Cas13 technology. Her goal is to optimize this tool to target the viral RNA of important human pathogenic viruses like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
She was nominated by her mentor Carolina Lopez, the Theodore and Bertha Bryan Professor in Environmental Medicine and a professor of molecular microbiology in the Medical School. “Perla is a motivated student who is interested in learning and has the tenacity to face the daily challenges of working in a research lab,” Lopez said. “She is disciplined and clearly dedicated to the work in the lab.”
In 2023, WashU was one of 14 colleges and universities selected to participate in the three-year Beckman Scholars Program. A team of 14 faculty mentors across Art & Sciences and the Medical School collaborated on the grant application. Two winners were announced in 2023 and again in 2024. WashU will reapply for another round of support in 2026, said Joseph Jez, the Spencer T. Olin Professor in Biology who led the university’s participation in the program.
“The Beckman Scholars Program has been an excellent resource for supporting outstanding undergraduates for extended research experiences and for bridging research on the Danforth and Medical School campuses,” Jez said. “The students and their faculty mentors are truly exceptional.”
