Keriann Backus, assistant professor of biological chemistry in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, has earned a Young Faculty Award from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
Backus submitted a proposal for her lab, which blends the fields of chemoproteomics and genomics, to develop new tools able to study and manipulate protein function and cell type.
The DARPA Young Faculty Award recognizes “rising research stars” who hold junior faculty positions at U.S. academic institutions with the goal of developing the next generation of scientists to address national security challenges.
Backus, who is also assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the UCLA college, was awarded a two-year grant of $500,000, with the potential to receive an additional $500,000 in the third year.
