A UT student has been selected to meet with more than thirty Nobel laureates this summer.
Sarah Davis, a doctoral student in microbiology, will participate in the 2014 Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting held June 24–July 4 in Lindau, Germany. She was selected after careful scientific review and is among 600 of the most qualified students and young researchers worldwide to share the opportunity of attending the meeting.
At the sixty-fourth Lindau meeting, thirty to forty Nobel laureates are expected to meet with the young researchers to share their knowledge, establish contacts, and discuss relevant topics such as global health, the challenges to medical care in developing countries, and future research approaches to medicine.
“I’m honored to have the opportunity to meet with researchers that are pioneers in their field,” Davis said. “The laureates have all produced incredible achievements and I look forward to learning firsthand about what factors have contributed in making them successful scientists and how I can apply that to my own career.”
Davis was selected for her research on the fungal pathogen Candida albicans and how to alter its phospholipid synthesis to reduce its ability to cause disease.
“Sarah is a very hard-working, thoughtful, and talented young scientist, and I think that she is an excellent choice for this award. This is an amazing opportunity for her to meet with those scientists that have made truly exceptional contributions to their fields,” said her advisor, Todd Reynolds, associate professor of microbiology.
Davis received her bachelor’s degree from Clemson University and is currently in her fifth year as a doctoral student. After graduation, she plans to do post-doctoral research on how bacteria and fungi in the human microbiome contribute to disease. Davis says she wants to use her knowledge and experience in research to find ways to cure or treat diseases by altering the microbiome population.
Since 1951, Nobel laureates in chemistry, physics, and physiology/medicine convene annually in Lindau, Germany, to have open and informal meetings with students and young researchers. The laureates lecture on the topic of their choice in the mornings and participate in less formal, small-group discussions with the students in the afternoons and some evenings. In addition to this valuable interaction, the participants enjoy the picturesque island city of Lindau. This medieval city—rich in central European culture—is located at the eastern end of Lake Constance, just north of the Swiss Alps, at the common border of Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.
Students and young researchers are nominated and selected by several sponsoring agencies and organizations. For more information, visit Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings website.
—
C O N T A C T :
Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, ablakely@utk.edu)