Congratulations to UW Academy student Melina Li on her selection to the 2026–27 Washington Research Foundation Fellows cohort! A UW senior majoring in biochemistry, biology, and mathematics, Melina researches how tumors trigger cachexia, a severe wasting syndrome associated with cancer, in Dr. Young Kwon’s lab.
Outside the lab, Melina volunteers as an escort team leader at UW Medical Center and plays on UW’s club volleyball team. She plans to pursue an MD-PhD, with the goal of becoming a pathologist and continuing to investigate the mechanisms of disease.