Diversity in Life Sciences

Dr. Brea A. Manuel is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Postdoctoral Scientist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where she works under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Summers. She received her B.S. in Chemistry from Louisiana State University in 2018 as both a McNair and LS-LAMP Scholar, conducting research on anti-HIV small molecules under the guidance of Dr. Isiah Warner. Dr. Manuel went on to earn her Ph.D. in 2022 from Emory University as Centennial Fellow, where she worked with Dr. Jennifer Heemstra to develop innovative nucleic acid-based tools for biological sensing and therapeutic modulation. Currently, Dr. Manuel’s research is focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms of retroviral genome packaging. Using advanced NMR and biophysical techniques, she aims to uncover insights into virus evolution and identify novel therapeutic strategies for infectious diseases. Her long-term goal is to develop nucleic acidbased therapeutics to target pathogenic systems. Outside the lab, Dr. Manuel is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in STEM. She co-authored the influential Nature Reviews Chemistry article on recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce, which has sparked significant discussions on fostering inclusivity in science.