Sophia M. McClain, Ph.D.

During her doctoral studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Sophia investigated the nature of biomolecular interactions with nanoscale materials. Her research strove to provide insight into how certain properties of synaptic vesicles such as chemical composition, surface curvature, and malleability could influence the interaction behavior of a known binding partner, alpha-synuclein. She gained further experience with intellectual property working as an intern at the university's technology transfer office where she participated in inventor interviews, conducted prior art searches, and drafted invention disclosure summaries.

As an undergraduate researcher at Indiana University, Sophia studied and developed methods for the synthesis of multifunctional, multimetallic nanoparticles with varied morphologies and compositions. She has coauthored articles as both an undergraduate and graduate researcher.