MAV ROUNDUP

Tenacious and Dedicated

Alumna earns competitive national award

Late last year, Karen Juanez (’20 BS, Biology; BS, Microbiology), a postbaccalaureate researcher at UTA, was awarded the highly competitive Diversity Supplement Award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. The two-year, $130,690 grant supports her research into programmed cell death under the supervision of Piya Ghose, assistant professor of biology.

“Karen has accomplished a lot in a very short amount of time,” Dr. Ghose says, noting her curiosity and tenacious work ethic. “It’s been really amazing to watch her progress.”

Juanez joined Ghose’s lab only a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic forced its closure, but she continued working and learning as much as she could. Juanez credits her family for her work ethic and scientific pursuits.

“My parents and older sister do everything with positivity, dedication, and enthusiasm,” she says. “Making the most of the opportunities presented during my time in the lab is an avenue to honor my family.”

Just as her family has paved the way for her success, Juanez plans to use her opportunities to create a better future for other scientists like her.

“There may be aspiring scientists who don’t realize opportunities like this exist,” she says. “I hope my story and my research will inspire others to pursue their interests and see how far they can go.”