Past Travel Grant Recipients
Chyna Mays
- PhD student
- 2023 J-WAFS Travel Grantee
- Department of Biological Engineering
Chyna Mays is a PhD student in the Department of Biological Engineering at MIT, where Professor Angela Belcher advises her. Chyna is also a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and an Alfred P. Sloan Scholar. After receiving her Bachelor of Science in bioengineering from Stanford University, she decided to pursue research opportunities towards bioengineering organisms for environmental remediation.
Under Professor Angela Belcher, Chyna is engineering yeast to sequester salts and metal contaminants from mine tailings and other water systems. She hopes that her research will be a sustainable solution for reclaiming contaminated water for human and industrial use.
Outside of her studies, Chyna enjoys mentoring students, cooking, and reading.