SynthX International Innovators Fellowship

We are proud to offer the SynthX International Innovators Fellowship for undergraduate students who are interested in visiting Rice University for more than one month research activity. Successful applicants will receive a check for $1000 (USD) upon their arrival in the United States.

Eligibility
We accept applications from all non-U.S. citizens or permanent residents enrolled in an undergraduate degree program that are engaged in research that aligns with any of the SynthX PIs. Applicants must be eligible to apply for a J-1 visa and have a valid passport.

Application Process
Those interested in the fellowship should submit the following documents to synthx@rice.edu:

  • Current curriculum vitae;
  • 2x2in or 51x51mm photo (passport size);
  • One-page research plan;
  • Your career plan (limited to 200 words);
  • Invitation letter from a SynthX PI; &
  • Screenshot of your planned arrival flight.

Fellowship Terms
Fellows will be responsible for covering all expenses related to their visit to the United States, including visa, travel, living, and healthcare.

Proposal Timeline
Proposals are submitted and reviewed and funds are awarded on a rolling basis, year-round.

Current Fellows
Dan Wu

Dan was a research assistant in neurobiology under Prof. Yulong Li at the School of Life Sciences, Peking University. She was later a research assistant in synthetic immunology under Prof. Xiaoshan Shi at the Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. After a successful research visit to the Xiao Lab at Rice University, she enrolled as a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry at Rice University.

Her goal during her Ph.D. is to establish a universal platform that combines metabolic glycan labeling with cellular intrinsic quality-control system to generate more efficient bacterial vaccines and virus vaccines to improve immune protection against pathogens. Toward this effort, she will engineer a BCG vaccine and an HIV vaccine to enhance their protective immune responses.

Dan seeks to become a principal investigator and set up her own lab in the future.

Dan Wu
Junhong Yang

Junhong was a research trainee under Prof. Zhaoyong Lu at Nankai University, where he ranked 14th out of 147 students. He later became a research intern under Prof. Hans Renata at Rice University. He is currently a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry at Rice University.

His goal during his Ph.D. is to develop a modular and versatile synthetic approach to the schweinfurthin family of natural products that will allow ready access to various family members as well as unnatural analogs to address this knowledge gaps. Using enzymatic oxidation following the Renata Lab's demonstrated engineering of P450BM3 enzymes to selectively install the hydroxyl group at the C3-position of sclareolide and related molecules to serve as a starting point for several target-oriented synthesis, Junhong proposes that hydroxyl group at C3 position of schweinfurthin F can also be introduced by P450BM3 variants.

Junhong plans to work in pharmaceutical research after graduating.

Junhong Yang