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Spencer Nelson

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Spencer Nelson
Spencer Nelson is a former UCSD alumni who graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry in 2018 and proceeded to work at Eurofins Advantar where he performed analytical method development for drug products and active pharmaceutical ingredients. He has since returned to UCSD and is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Program working in the Deshmukh lab where he has obtained numerous awards including the 2023-24 Distinguished Graduate Student Fellowship and the Teddy Traylor Award for his research. He studies the biophysical impact and regulatory roles of protein ubiquitination using novel ubiquitinated-protein purification techniques and has thus far had one of these methods published in JACS in 2023. His current research focus explores how differing ubiquitin chains can alter the aggregation, degradation, and toxicity of amyloidogenic proteins, particularly those related to neurological disorders including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. He is an avid undergrad mentor participating in multiple programs including UCSD’s STEMULATE and ENLACE programs providing research experience to underrepresented groups and creating ties with students from Mexico.