Kristen DeMeester

What I study and why: Our team works at the chemistry-biology interface to study how bacteria and human cells interact at the molecular level. We want to understand how small molecule sugars that make up the bacterial cell wall regulate the biological pathway autophagy, a process in the human cell that is responsible for clearing pathogens. We are interested in finding new ways to turn on autophagy, which could lead to the development of new anti-infective therapies to overcome antibiotic resistance.

This fall I’m teaching: I am on maternity leave in the fall, but in the spring I will be teaching CHEM 222 Organic Chemistry II.

What students can expect from me: Students can expect someone who genuinely cares about them and their education. Students can expect us to grow together on this journey of learning and researching science at the chemistry-biology interface with a culture of compassion, patience, and equality.

I’m excited to be here because: I love mentoring students, and helping them grow into their dreams brings me happiness.

Getting to know me: I love traveling with family and friends. My first plane ride was to Italy, where I studied abroad in college.

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