January was National Mentoring Month! Join UGA's Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities in celebrating the outstanding faculty who mentor our undergraduate researchers.
Department: UGA's Complex Carbohydrate Research Center
Research Interests: Congenital disorders of O-glycosylation (muscular dystrophy and intellectual disability), post-translational modification, viral spike proteins, cancer, mass spectrometry
Recognition: Lamar Dodd Creative Research Award (2019); Distinguished Research Professor (2021); President, Society for Glycobiology (2024); Georgia Research Alliance Distinguished Investigator (2012-present)
Inside UGA’s acclaimed Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, Wells and his team investigate how structural changes to proteins — the building blocks of the human body — play a role in diseases such as diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s and congenital muscular dystrophy. By shedding light on the molecular mechanisms that cause these conditions, Wells’ research could lead to better treatments.
From a Mentee:
"Dr. Lance Wells has been a once-in-a-lifetime mentor by consistently recognizing my efforts and providing unwavering support. He encouraged me to present at SFG alongside graduate students and has countlessly offered his time and expertise when I didn't understand. His enthusiasm for our field has been infectious, inspiring my own tenacity and deep appreciation for glycobiology and research as a whole. His belief in me and the incredible opportunities he has provided have transformed my outlook on both research and life, and I will be forever grateful for his guidance and mentorship." - Laura Kate Holden
Laura Kate Holden presents her research at the Society for Glycobiology Annual Meeting this past November in Amelia Island, Florida. Laura Kate, a fourth year CURO Honors Scholar at UGA, was the only undergraduate invited to present her research at the conference. She studies biochemistry and molecular biology and has conducted four consecutive years of undergraduate research with Dr. Wells. She focuses on the characterization of mutations in the OGT gene. These mutations cause X-Linked Intellectual Disability. They are trying to see if sugar supplementation will reduce symptoms.
The Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities allows and encourages ALL undergraduate students to pursue faculty-mentored research, including students in their first year at the University of Georgia.
On July 26, 2024, the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities hosted the annual CURO Final Forum at UGA's Delta Innovation Hub on campus. This event allowed each of CURO's 30 Summer Research Fellows to present on their summer research projects. The CURO Summer Research Fellowship awards $3,000 to UGA undergraduates to do research under the mentorship of UGA faculty members.
The University of Georgia Foundation is registered to solicit in every state and provides state specific registration information at http://www.ugafoundation.org/charity.
