Drosophila Research Technician
Email: scmacon@clemson.edu
Biosketch
As a graduate of Randolph-Macon College, Sarah Macon received her B.S. in Biology where she had the opportunity to participate in research under Dr. Traci Stevens where she fell in love with genetics. After graduating she took a year off to work as a research technician under Dr. Peter Armbruster at Georgetown University before beginning her Master’s Degree in Individualized Genomics and Health through Johns Hopkins University Online in May 2021, all while still working full time. After her one year contract with Georgetown, she worked for Bode Technology as a Forensic DNA Technologist before coming to Clemson as a Drosophila Research Technician. Additionally, she hopes to pursue her Ph.D. in Genetics.
Research
Sarah’s love for research came from working under Dr. Traci Stevens as an undergraduate student. In the Stevens Lab, she worked on a project focused on determining genetic interactions between genes known to interact with the Garz gene and the Abl gene. Her work led her to give a poster presentation at the 60th Annual Drosophila Conference further confirming her desire to pursue a career in genetic research. After graduating, she worked with Dr. Peter Armbruster on an NIH funded project investigating molecular regulation of biting behavior in mosquitoes.
Sarah’s previous research experience has allowed her to experience various aspects of genetic research. While her previous experience was enjoyable and beneficial she hopes to be able to focus her future research on human genetic disorders specifically those that affect the brain. Some topics of particular interest include alcoholism, Huntington’s, Parkinsons, drug addiction, etc.. She is also highly interested in cancer genetics as well as healthcare genetics and hopes to one day be able to pursue research while also working with clinical doctors to help understand rare genetic conditions and how to treat them.