Micaiah Ward - Fellows Society

Micaiah Ward

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HOMETOWN: Austin, TX

PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship

I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin.

My main research interest is in venom: what are the individual components and how do they function? How does this differ from species to species, or population to population? My dissertation focus is on the characterization of multiple centipede and scorpion venoms, as well as evolving resistance to venom in fruit fly populations and identifying the genetic components of this evolved resistance. Although I do enjoy classroom teaching, my fellowship allows me to focus my time on my research rather than splitting my time as a TA. I still get plenty of teaching experience through mentoring undergraduate researchers in our lab, and currently have four students working on collaborative and independent projects.

Although I don't get to attend often, I enjoy going to the Fellows Society luncheons, where we are given the opportunity to both present and listen to other fellows research. This is a great tool for practicing public speaking and relating your field to a more general audience, which we all know is a challenge. It also allows us to see how our research may connect to other fields, and provides an inviting platform to network outside of our own disciplines.