Achievement

MILES IGERT trainee Amber Hancock is currently conducting a research internship abroad at the Centre for Excellence in Free Radical Chemistry and Biotechnology, University of Melbourne, Australia. Amber’s internship is the result of international collaborations between Dr. Jim Tanko (Virginia Tech) and Dr. Carl Schiesser (University of Melbourne). Her internship involves the synthesis of chemical compounds that are of interests for the synthesis of dual acting antioxidant antihypertensive agents. Synthesis, characterization, and kinetics studies of these compounds are being performed in Australia. Upon Amber’s return to Virginia Tech, product studies will be carried out. This research internship is a fine example of the interdisciplinary and collaborative goals of the MILES program. Dr. Schiesser and Dr. Tanko, building on their collaborative research, are pursuing funding for a National Science Foundation center to study selenium-based antioxidants.