Ryan Moreira and Jacob Soley, two doctoral students with Chemistry professor Scott Taylor, were awarded the 2018 Dr. J. Leopold Koppel Graduate Scholarship for scholastic excellence in biochemistry and/or molecular biology.
The scholarship, established by John and Suzanne Koppel, honours the memory of John’s late father, Johannes Leopold Koppel, a former Waterloo biochemistry professor. The annual scholarship is awarded by the Faculty of Science to a graduate student in the Department of Biology or the Department of Chemistry.
First
year
doctoral
student
Ryan
Moreira (pictured
left)
researches the
development
of
a
class
of
antibiotics
called
cyclic
lipopeptides.
Although
only
two
cyclic
lipopeptide
antibiotics
are
currently
in
clinical
use,
it
is
an
important
class
of
antibiotics for
treating
infections
that
don't
respond
to
other
classes
of
antibiotics. Moreira’s
ultimate
goal
is
to
expand
the
repertoire
of
clinically
relevant
cyclic
lipopeptide
antibiotics.
“I am exceedingly grateful to the Koppolds' for their generous award which will allow me to spend more time in the lab synthesizing and testing new lipopeptide antibiotics,” says Moreira. “Support for researchers is often fleeting and an award like this has provided me with some much needed validation and recognition.”
Third
year
doctoral
student
Jacob
Soley (pictured
right) is
developing
drugs
that
target
bacterial
virulence
factors.
Virulence
factors
are
proteins
that
are
secreted
by
pathogenic
bacteria
upon
infection.
These
virulence
factors
interact
with
human
macromolecules,
such
as
antibodies,
preventing
the
macromolecules from
doing
their
job. The
antivirulence
drugs
that
Soley
is
developing
disarm
the
bacteria
by
inactivating
the
virulence
factors.
“I consider this award to be a huge achievement for me personally, coming to Ontario to pursue a graduate degree has been a challenging path and was not without doubt,” says Soley. “Being recognized in this way has given me tremendous confidence in that choice and a renewed enthusiasm for chemistry in general.”
Congratulations, Ryan and Jacob!
Please contact the Biology or Chemistry Graduate Co-ordinator for further information about this award.