Andrew Terentis, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, was selected as a 2020-2021 Fulbright Scholar in Cyprus. He will be conducting research and teaching a course in Raman spectroscopy at the University of Cyprus, as part of a project to study how cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) interact with lipid membranes. CPPs offer great promise for pharmaceutical applications, where they could be utilized to improve the delivery of therapeutic compounds into cells, due their ability, as small protein molecules, to penetrate living cells rapidly. The research/teaching grant, "UV Resonance Raman Study of Cell-Penetrating Peptide-Lipid Interactions," will enable Dr. Terentis to work with members of Dr. Sophia Hayes' laboratory at the University of Cyprus to determine some of the structural changes that CPPs undergo when they interact with cell membranes using Raman spectroscopy (a laser light scattering technique). Dr. Terentis will also teach students at the University of Cyprus some of the most recent advancements in Raman spectroscopic techniques.
As a Fulbright Scholar, Terentis will share knowledge and foster meaningful connections across communities in the United States and Cyprus. Fulbrighters engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs, and classrooms, they share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars to campus and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad. As Fulbright Scholar alumni, their careers are enriched by joining a network of thousands of esteemed scholars, many of whom are leaders in their fields. Fulbright alumni include 60 Nobel Prize laureates, 86 Pulitzer Prize recipients, and 37 who have served as a head of state or government.
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to forge lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries, counter misunderstandings, and help people and nations work together toward common goals.
