Juan Martinez

I’m a graduate chemistry student at Bucknell University, focused on hands-on research and the kind of communication that makes science easier to learn and act on.

In the McDonald organic chemistry research lab, I’m working on “Determining the stereochemistry of selective ring opening of N,N-acetals via X-ray crystallography.” I’ve also completed solubility optimization for the BioAB-RSAM protein using various methods.

My research experience also spans protein-focused and cancer-focused projects. In Dr. Saunders’s lab, I helped design and optimize experiments for General Chemistry II using GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein) to highlight the importance of protein folding, and I supported work on cancer research under Dr. Teng, including the “CBS-CD73 axis” and “GLS1 and c-Myc” in head and neck malignancies.

I bring that same focus into teaching and outreach—tutoring immunology, serving as an Introductory Biology Lab TA, and contributing as a Heritage Speakers Spanish TA through facilitated nonprofit visits and Spanish translation. I also develop science communication assets, collaborating on video essays and infographics to engage broader audiences.