Wengelawit Molla, BSc

She is a highly motivated researcher who holds a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, with aspirations of pursuing a career in the medical field. She is currently workings as a postgraduate research associate in Dr. Oktay’s lab, where she is actively engaged in a project aimed at assessing the quality and quantity of human ovarian follicles both in-vivo and in-vitro. In addition to her research duties, she is also involved in patient recruitment and coordination for a clinical study.

Prior to her current position, she gained valuable experience working as an immunology research assistant during her undergraduate studies. In this role, she conducted research on the effect of compounds found in soft drinks on type 1 diabetes using rodents as animal models. Furthermore, she has also conducted extensive research in biochemistry, focusing on the enzymatic activity of pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase by introducing a single amino acid mutation near the enzyme's active site. This research was conducted over the course of a year and yielded valuable insights into the enzyme's function and she presented these findings in the 2022 ASBMB annual meeting.