Each year, the Department of Biology in Arts & Sciences awards a prize in memory of Marion Smith Spector, a 1938 WUSTL graduate who studied zoology under the late Viktor Hamburger, Ph.D., professor of biology and a prominent developmental biologist who made many important contributions while a faculty member at the University.
This year, the Spector Prize was shared by two recipients: Andrew Kraft and Musi (Audrey) Ye. Kraft and Ye were nominated by their research mentors for their outstanding work in research and the substantial contributions they made to the field of that work.
Kraft worked in the lab of Jin-Moo Lee, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of neurology and of radiology at the School of Medicine. His thesis was titled “Activated Astrocytes Suppress Amyloid Plaque Pathogenesis in APP/PS1 Mice.”
Kraft will apply to M.D./Ph.D. programs this summer and will continue to work in Lee’s lab during the application process.
Ye worked with Maurine Linder, Ph.D., professor of cell biology and physiology at the School of Medicine. Ye’s thesis was “Elucidating the Role of Erd1 in Localization and Function of Pfa3, a Protein Acyltansferase in Yeast.” Ye is planning to attend medical school at Vanderbilt University.
As part of the departmental recognition of this outstanding work, the two students presented their work at a special biology department seminar April 27.