Merna Melad

I am a PhD student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Stony Brook University. My interest in research beganduring my undergraduate studies in biophysics, where I became fascinated by how molecular and biophysical principlescan be used to better understand biological systems and address complex biomedical challenges. I now work with Dr. EricJosephs, where my research focuses on developing and characterizing CRISPR-based technologies, particularly RNA-targeting systems, to understand the factors that shape their activity and specificity and to expand their use in high-throughput screening and molecular detection. Through the Scholars in Biomedical Sciences program, I am working withDr. Tom Diacovo to explore how these technologies can be applied to the rapid detection of sepsis and other clinicallyurgent conditions in neonatal care, particularly when only limited patient samples are available. Ultimately, my goal is tobridge molecular engineering and medicine by developing rapid, sensitive, and adaptable technologies that can   addressunmet needs in disease detection and patient care.

Graduate Advisor: Dr. Eric Josephs, PhD
Clinical Mentor: Dr. Tom Diacovo, MD
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