Biology graduate student earns Thurgood Marshall research scholarship
A former McNair Scholar who earned a bachelor of science in biology in 2008 at DSU, Ms. Jeffries is currently in the University’s Bridge to Doctorate Program, through which she is pursuing a master of science in biology. She is working under the advisement of Dr. Sabrina McGary, associate professor of biology.
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund has awarded a DSU graduate student a $5,000 scholarship in recognition of her winning research proposal.
Charelle A. Jeffries, a graduate student from Washington, D.C., is the recipient of the prestigious and competitive national scholarship for HBCU minority students.
Ms. Jeffries winning research proposal focuses on establishing the quantifiable impact of steroids on the cells of lung tissue in chick embryos. Ms. Jeffries believes the project will provide insight on how the developmental processes are related to cell death and could lead to future research on respiratory diseases associated with poultry.
After she completes her MS in biology, Ms. Jeffries plans to enroll in a M.D./Ph.D program and ultimately hopes to become a researcher in the biomedical field while practicing medicine.
She said that science is an intriguing fit for her. “I’m a very curious person, and I love knowing how things happen,” she said. “Sciences are always changing, and it is never a deceased subject.”