Congratulations to John Lu, a recipient of a prestigious Marshall Scholarship! Up to 40 Marshall Scholarships are awarded each year to high-achieving American students to pursue post-graduate studies at any university in the UK in any field. The award covers all university fees, cost-of-living expenses and many other costs. John is a 2017 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar, a Duke Faculty Scholar award winner and a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. He is double-majoring in chemistry and mathematics with a minor in biology, and has participated in a number of undergraduate research experiences. John has received grants to study the structure and function of viral proteins that regulate host transcription factors in the lab of Dr. Micah Luftig in Duke’s School of Medicine. During a semester abroad at the University of Oxford, John joined the lab of David Stuart, where he used cryo-electron microscopy to examine multiple virus structures. He also spent two summers in global health interventions and policy research -- one addressing schistosomiasis in Tanzania and the other immunization policy in Ghana. His research has resulted in several publications in preparation. As a Marshall Scholar, John plans to work on a one-year master of science degree in health policy, planning and financing at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, followed by a year of research toward a master’s in philosophy in biochemistry at Cambridge. After this training in the UK, he intends to complete an M.D./Ph.D. and then embark on a career to develop vaccines that can eradicate neglected tropical diseases.
Chemistry