Marlene Lawston and Leah Weisburn, both members of the Class of 2020, have received Goldwater Scholarships for the upcoming academic year. They were selected from among 1,223 college sophomores and juniors studying natural science, engineering, and mathematics at 443 academic institutions.
Goldwater scholarships honor the memory of the late Senator Barry Goldwater. The program supports outstanding mathematics, natural sciences, and engineering students pursuing careers in research. In particular, it seeks out individuals who display intellectual intensity and demonstrate the potential to serve as leaders in their chosen fields.
Lawston (Niskayuna, N.Y.) is an Arnold and Mabel Beckman Scholar conducting research on stem cell biology and molecular neurobiology in the lab of Jason Meyers, associate professor of biology and neuroscience. “His work involves molecular biology and neuroscience, and I was drawn to that challenge.” Lawston explained. “Studying the pathways and molecular mechanisms that underlie disease and regeneration has always interested me.”
Lawston’s current project focuses on uncovering the mechanisms behind mechano-sensory organ regeneration, using blind cavefish as a model organism. This summer, she will present her research at the Beckman Symposium in Irvine California and at the Society for Developmental Biology Conference in Boston.