NSF Graduate Research Fellow

Mackenzie joined the Provenzano lab in 2015 as a PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering. She graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor’s in Bioengineering and a minor in Biology. Mackenzie began researching HIV with the Burke Lab before her first day of college, and remained a part of their team for 4 consecutive years. During her time at MU, Mackenzie was selected to be a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Apprentice, Fellow, and Alumni, which gave her research background a unique emphasis in science communication. At the University of Minnesota she was awarded the prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Her current research interest involves understanding chemical communication between various cell types involved in tumor progression, including fibroblasts, carcinoma cells, and immune cells, and the underlying mechanical factors that influence this communication. Outside of the lab, Mackenzie enjoys volunteering, playing the piano, dancing, and camping.