Dr Melanie R. McReynolds

Experts / Dr Melanie R. McReynolds

Dr Melanie R. McReynolds

Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, Penn State

Dr. Melanie R. McReynolds is a HHMI Hanna H. Gray Fellow and Rising Assistant Professor at the Pennsylvania State University, where her research focuses on the intersection of metabolic decline and aging. Melanie holds a B.S. degree in Chemistry and Physics from Alcorn State University. She participated in the NIH funded Alcorn State to Penn State Bridges to the Doctorate Program where she obtained her M.S. degree in Biological Sciences. Dr. McReynolds completed her Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Microbiology and Molecular Biology at the Pennsylvania State University. Melanie was recognized as a Rising Star on the CellPress list of Top 100 Inspiring Black Scientists in America during her postdoctoral tenure at Princeton University and aims to inspire the next generation of scientists to trust that all things will work together for those who believe. Melanie a biochemist specializing in understanding the connection between metabolic stress and aging. She has over a decade of research, mentoring, and teaching experience that she is excited to offer back to the Penn State Community. Melanie is on the trajectory to establish her independent research group, where her lab will shed light on metabolic aging and disease. She is returning to Penn State as the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Chair in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology—effective January 2022.

What links aging and disease? A growing body of research says it’s a faulty metabolism

Every second, your cells perform billions of biochemical reactions that fuel essential functions for life, forming a highly interconnected metabolic network. This network enables cells to grow, proliferate and repair themselves, and its disruption can drive the aging process.

What links aging and disease? A growing body of research says it’s a faulty metabolism

Every second, your cells perform billions of biochemical reactions that fuel essential functions for life, forming a highly interconnected metabolic network. This network enables cells to grow, proliferate and repair themselves, and its disruption can drive the aging process.

By Dr Melanie R. McReynolds