Dr. Stephanie Tristram-Nagle’s Biological Physics Lab
Dr. Stephanie Tristram-Nagle
Dr. Stephanie Tristram-Nagle began her career with Carnegie Mellon University in 1982 as a Post-Doctoral Researcher and is a current Research Professor Emerita at CMU. Dr. Tristram-Nagle’s lab is focused on research surrounding “lipid membrane structure, properties and thermodynamics. Her current focus is on the interaction of antimicrobial peptides with bacterial membrane mimics.” In this video, Dr. Tristram-Nagle talks about her current study and how collaboration is a key idea in her field.
Diamond Moody, MCS - Applied Physics ’19
Diamond Moody is a current CMU undergraduate student majoring in applied physics. Her primary area of focus is biological physics and she has an interest in materials science as well. As such, since filming, Diamond has moved to another lab where she does research with Dr. Lisa Porter's research group in the Materials Science Department. They are researching a wide bandgap semiconductor, gallium oxide, which can be used in electronic and opto-electronic devices. The group (in collaboration with researchers at the University of Texas El Paso) aims to develop electrical contacts to gallium oxide that don’t degrade chemically or electrically at elevated temperatures. Learn about who Diamond’s role model is in this video below.
Akari Kumagai, MCS - Applied Physics ‘19
Majoring in applied physics with a focus on biological physics, Akari Kumagai has been an undergraduate student researcher in Dr. Stephanie Tristram-Nagle’s lab since spring of 2018. Akari published a paper with Dr.Tristram-Nagle and Diamond in the spring of 2019 where she gained first hand experience on the publication review process she mentions in the video. Discover how specific experiences in Akari’s life sparked the curiosity that led her to physics.
Biological Physics Lesson Plan
The focus of Dr. Tristram-Nagle's current research is on the topic of antimicrobial peptides. The accompanying lesson plan incorporates all of the above information with sections dedicated to cell types, antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, and Dr. Tristram-Nagle Lab's research methods and efforts in this area. The lesson plan is designed to be adapted for middle through high school levels as a supplement to existing instruction.