William Beavers, Ph.D.

Former Postdoctoral Researcher in the Skaar lab

Will grew up outside of Washington D.C. in Middleburg, VA, and received his B.S. in chemistry from Old Dominion University. After that he moved to Boston, MA, and worked in the Blais Proteomics Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute while completing an M.S. in chemistry from Northeastern University. His dissertation work in the laboratory of Dr. Larry Marnett at Vanderbilt University used alkynyl polyunsaturated fatty acids to investigate the interactions of oxidized lipids and proteins during macrophage activation and the resulting cellular consequences.  After earning a Ph.D. in chemistry, he moved across campus and to the other side of the host-pathogen interaction. In the Skaar lab, Will studied how the competition for transition metals allows S. aureus to evade killing by neutrophil generated oxidative stress. Will is now an Assistant Professor at Louisiana State University in the department of Pathobiological Sciences.