Spotlights
Emily David '18
Employer
University of Virginia / Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
LinkedIn Profile
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-david-b62791144/
1. Tell us about your journey since graduation.
After graduating in 2018, I had the opportunity to continue my
research at GVSU over the summer before starting graduate school. In
August, I started graduate school in the Department of Medicinal
Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology in the College of Pharmacy at
Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. I joined Dr. Robert
Stahelin’s lab and started working on acute myeloid leukemia and the
Ebola virus for the first year of my graduate studies. At the
beginning of 2020, I was preparing for my Ph.D. candidacy exam when
the COVID-19 pandemic forced us all into isolation. After passing my
candidacy exam, the Stahelin Lab stayed in operation working on the
Ebola virus and the virus-causing COVID-19. At this time my thesis
shifted to focus entirely on understanding the mechanism behind how
COVID-19 hijacks host cell machinery and creates more copies of
itself. I was part of a project that created a new methodology to
study a COVID-19 virus model in more lab facilities nationwide. With
this methodology in our arsenal of tools, I began my investigation on
one minor structural protein of the COVID-19 virus and defended my
thesis in November 2023. Following graduation in the winter semester,
I continued to work in Dr. Stahelin’s lab as a post-doctoral fellow to
wrap up experiments on my doctoral work. In April 2024, I accepted a
post-doctoral research scientist position at the University of
Virginia in Charlottesville, VA working in the Department of
Hematology and Oncology. Under the direction of Dr. Charles Chalfant,
I am working on cell signaling in non-small cell lung cancer.
2. Share a favorite Grand Valley memory.
It’s hard to pick one memory, I remember running back and forth
throughout the day between the performing arts building and the
science buildings on the Allendale campus. Having the opportunity to
learn more about my favorite subjects on one campus was so special. I
will never forget how thankful I felt to be able to live the dream of
pursuing both dance and biology.
3. What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
To be a scientist and an artist is to explore, and in this
exploration, there is bound to be failure along the way. One piece of
advice that I have always carried with me is to “keep moving forward”
(Walt Disney).
4. List three words you would use to describe your Grand
Valley experience.
Inspiring, Unique, and Empowering
5. What difference would you like to make in the world?
I want to encourage the next generation of scientists and artists
to keep asking questions to make the world a better place. I want to
improve the therapies available to those facing difficult diagnoses.
July 2024
Interest Area(s)
Cell and Molecular Biology, Dance
Categories
Honors College
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