Meghan Forsythe — Molecular & Cellular Biology Student | UC Santa Barbara

Aspiring PhD in Biomedical and Cancer Research

Driven honors student (GPA 3.99) with advanced research experience and publication portfolio.

Research in cancer biology, drug discovery, evolutionary genomics, and translational science. Published and presented work at NIH and industry conferences, leadership in UCSB Honors College.

About Me

I am a senior honors student at UC Santa Barbara, majoring in Molecular & Cellular Biology (Microbiology emphasis, GPA 3.99), currently applying to PhD programs. My research integrates evolutionary theory and cancer genomics, with active contributions to academic panels, mentorship, and scientific presentation at national conferences. Recent projects span cancer genetics at NIH, drug development at BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, and comparative genomics in the Boddy Lab.

Education

Expected June 2026
Bachelor of Science, Molecular & Cellular Biology
UC Santa Barbara
GPA: 3.99
Honors College member Dean’s List (every quarter) Mentor, UCSB Biotech Organization Advanced coursework: genomics, molecular biology, scientific communication

Research Projects & Publications

Life-History Tradeoffs & Placental Evolution in Mammals
Evolutionary Genomics
Life-History Tradeoffs & Placental Evolution in Mammals
Co-authoring research manuscript (Parmeggiani, Forsythe, et al.); evolutionary genomics with Dr. Amy Boddy.
C5 Drug Candidate Efficacy & Toxicity
Drug Development
C5 Drug Candidate Efficacy & Toxicity
BioCryst Summer Poster (2025); drug discovery and assay development.

Research Experience

Research Assistant - Boddy Lab, UCSB
2024–Current
Evolutionary genomics and placental analysis; multi-species dataset; manuscript in preparation.
Drug Research Biology Intern - BioCryst Pharmaceuticals
2025–Current
Developed ELISA and ZMAC30 assays for drug candidates; poster presented at Research Day.
NIH Summer Intern - National Cancer Institute
Summer 2024
Screened RNA binding proteins using CRISPRi and qPCR; presented findings at NIH Poster Day.
Mentor, Honors College & Biotech Organization - UC Santa Barbara
2023–Current
Led undergraduate workshops for research techniques, networking, and scientific outreach.

Honors & Awards

Dean's List (every quarter)
UC Santa Barbara, GPA: 3.99

Contact

For collaboration, research opportunities, or PhD applications, connect with me on LinkedIn or download my CV below.