JUSTIN SELBY

Justin is a 4th year undergraduate student at UCLA studying Physiological Sciences with a minor in Spanish. Under the mentorship of Declan, he is investigating the phosphorylation of nonstructural proteins in the alphavirus life cycle. Using techniques such as site-directed mutagenesis, plaque assays, phosphoproteomics, and qPCR, he has studied how phosphorylation at the T5 site on the alphavirus nsP2 protein affects virus production and viral RNA synthesis during infection. He is also conducting a review of literature published on the role of the nsP3 protein in the alphavirus life cycle and how its behavior might be modified by phosphorylation. Justin joined the Bouhaddou lab in August of 2023 and has loved every minute he has spent there. He especially appreciates the supportive environment cultivated by the every single member of the lab and the opportunity to explore many different facets of biological research. Outside of the lab, Justin enjoys singing with his a cappella group, losing games with his IM volleyball team, and worsening his caffeine addiction day by day.