Findings

Read about Mavis Agbandje-McKenna, Ph.D., in the March 2006 issue.

Structural Biologist
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL

Mavis Agbandje-McKenna considers herself “one of the lucky ones.” After growing up in a war-torn village in rural Nigeria, she found her way to her dream career as a biologist.

Now she runs a lab with her scientist husband, and together they investigate how viruses invade cells and cause disease. Her work has helped researchers understand the tiny mutations that can turn a harmless virus into a killer, possibly making the difference between a regular flu season and the next pandemic.

Back to scientist gallery