Virologist Maritza Puray-Chavez, a staff scientist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named a 2023 Dr. Eddie Mendez Scholar by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. The award recognizes outstanding early-career scientists who are members of groups underrepresented in science or who are living with disabilities, and who have made notable contributions to infectious diseases, cancer or basic science research.
Originally from Peru, Puray-Chavez studies how viruses get inside cells, replicate and evade host immunity. Such data are crucial for identifying promising drug targets and vaccine candidates for viral infections. She works in the laboratory of Sebla Kutluay, an associate professor of molecular microbiology. Puray-Chavez's long-term goal is to establish herself as an independent scientist.
