Written By Lexx Thornton
Dr. Melanie McReynolds, an Alcorn State University alumna and a leading biochemistry and molecular biology scholar at Penn State, has received the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) highly sought-after Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award. This award is the NSF’s most distinguished for early-career faculty, recognizing those who excel as role models in research and education and advance their institution’s mission.
“I am deeply thankful that God saw fit to bless me with this honor,” said McReynolds. “As a scientist and educator, the NSF CAREER award allows me to bring together the core of who I am, while providing $1.3 million to do science in my lab and hometown.”
The five-year, $1.3 million award will support Dr. McReynolds’ vital research into NAD+, a fundamental molecule found in all living things. NAD+ plays a crucial role in many cell functions. Lower levels of NAD+ have been linked to aging and various health issues, including Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and cancer.
“My start in science came through the NSF-funded HBCU-UP program at Alcorn State University. It’s a full circle moment that during my early career, I’ve gained NSF support to chase my wildest dreams,” she added.
Dr. McReynolds’s research uses the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans to study the function and regulation of NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide). NAD+ is a crucial molecule involved in cellular energy metabolism, DNA repair, and various other signaling pathways.
Beyond her lab work, Dr. McReynolds is also exploring the growing NAD+ supplement market. “Students in my lab are giving NAD+ supplements to the worms to see how it affects their behavior, reproduction, and lifespan,” she said. “NAD+ supplements, like those with B3, are a huge industry. But exactly how they work and the effects of taking too much are still unclear.”
Dr. McReynolds is also committed to science education in her community. She will host “Science in Action” workshops for middle and high school students in Winston County, Mississippi, her hometown. Younger students will learn about basic science experiments, while older students will see how different stressors affect the worms’ energy use.
“My students and I will return to my hometown, Louisville, Miss., every summer to share our science experiences and lead hands-on activities about cell energy and aging,” she said. “Eventually, we hope that students who have participated for several years will mentor younger ones.”
Dr. McReynolds’ career is marked by numerous awards and significant scientific contributions.
She was an inaugural Fellow of the Intersections Science Fellows Symposium (2021), a Rising Star in Health Sciences Research in metabolism by the University of Utah (2021), a Hanna H. Gray Fellow by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (2018), and a member of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Postdoctoral Research Enrichment Program (2018). As a postdoctoral researcher, she was named a Rising Star on Cell Press’s list of Top 100 Inspiring Black Scientists in America. Her research has been published in leading journals, including Nature and Science.
Before joining Penn State’s faculty, Dr. McReynolds was a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University from 2017 to 2021. She earned a master’s degree in biological sciences from Alcorn State University in 2011, participating in the notable Alcorn State to Penn State Bridges to the Doctorate Program. She completed her doctoral degree in biochemistry and molecular biology at the Pennsylvania State University in 2017.
