Dr. Elizabeth Haswell is an associate professor of biology and an HHMI-Simon Faculty Scholar at Washington University in St. Louis. She is interested in how plant molecular and cellular mechanisms perceive force. Her research currently focuses on studies of several families of mechanosensitive ion channels. She also works on functional and genetic screens to identify mechanosensory proteins and on the development of non-invasive tools for studying membrane forces.
Dr. Jason McLellan is a professor of molecular biosciences at The University of Texas at Austin. He researches the structure and function of viral and bacterial proteins for development of vaccines and treatments. His research was important for the engineering of a key protein in coronaviruses for use in vaccines, including COVID-19. His research has been recognized by a Golden Goose Award, the William Prusoff Memorial Award, and several others.