Snapshot: Darci Trader

Position: Research Associate, laboratory of Thomas Kodadek, The Scripps Research Institute’s (TSRI) Florida campus.

Research: Trader and her colleagues in the Kodadek lab work in the area of chemical biology, with an emphasis on translational research. They aim to discover effective and early diagnostic tests as well as therapeutic agents for a variety of disorders, including cancers, autoimmune diseases and neurodegenerative conditions.

Background: A native of Rockford, Illinois, Trader earned a BS and MS in chemistry at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and a PhD from Indiana University. Her career goal is to run her own research lab, drawing on the natural product isolation techniques she developed at Indiana University and the high-throughput screening and library synthesis methods she has been learning in the Kodadek lab to discover new cancer therapies.

Arrived at TSRI: January 2014

Awards: Since joining TSRI, Trader has received a National Institutes of Health Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award fellowship and a Robert M. Sandelman Award for Scientific Excellence awarded by TSRI.

Thoughts on TSRI: “I wanted to do my postdoctoral research at Scripps Florida, especially in the Kodadek lab, because of the diversity of the research performed,” says Trader. “[Scripps Florida] provides a unique environment where a researcher has access to a number of core services, world-class principal investigators who are open to collaboration and discussions, and coworkers who are willing to share their expertise.”

Professional and Volunteer Groups: As current president of the Scripps Florida Society of Research Fellows (SRF), Trader says the group provides postdocs with opportunities to “walk away from the bench for a short time, network with others, bounce around scientific ideas and have fun during social and volunteer activities." Trader and the SRF executive board plan to provide workshops, seminars and other resources to help prepare TSRI postdocs for the competitive job environment.

Extracurricular Activities: In her free time, Trader enjoys trying out new restaurants and visiting the “dog beach” with her Siberian Husky, Sam.

Send comments to: press[at]scripps.edu