Sam Sakells

Sam was born and raised in El Paso, TX. She attended the Northwest Early College High School, which allowed her to earn an associate’s degree in multidisciplinary studies before earning her high school diploma. As she worked towards her associate’s degree, Sam shadowed a Ph.D. student at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and was inspired to pursue science and research.

Upon graduation from high school, Sam attended UTEP where she chose to pursue a Bachelor of Science in cellular and molecular biochemistry. Sam was accepted into the BUILDing SCHOLARS program at UTEP, which is an NIH-funded program that promotes diversity in biomedical research. As a fellow in the BUILDing SCHOLARS program, Sam conducted research in a variety of fields including virology, biochemistry, bacteriology, and cancer biology. After gaining these valuable research experiences, Sam chose to pursue a Ph.D. in Molecular Microbiology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Fueled by her interest in phages and genetics, Sam joined the Forsberg Lab where she is studying a synthetic anti-CRISPR gene to further understand the mechanism behind de novo gene birth and the evolution of anti-CRISPRs.

In her free time, Sam enjoys planting, baking, and making sidewalk chalk art. Sam likes being outside to appreciate the plants and environment around her. She frequently enjoys going on walks and identifying the plants growing in the region. Though she is most familiar with plants growing in the Chihuahuan Desert, she has also started familiarizing herself with indoor ornamental plants. Sam is excited to learn more about the plants growing the Dallas-Fort Worth region. When Sam visits home in El Paso, she loves spending time with her family and two cats: Sweet Pea and Bear.