Marvin Center

Marvin is a second-year Biology M.S. student in Dan Cox’s neuroscience lab. His background is in chemistry, Spanish language, and molecular genetics, and he researches how phospholipid membrane composition influences neuronal morphology and cold nociception in Drosophila. 

Marvin and his spouse recently moved to Arizona from Atlanta, Georgia, where he pursued his undergraduate degrees in Chemistry and Spanish. Sadly, his cat is a few years ahead of him academically, already having earned her doctorate degree in Napping.

Following completion of his degree, Marvin plans to complete an MD/PhD in Biochemistry, Pharmacology, or a related field. He has always been passionate about education, fostering a love for STEM in underserved communities, and increasing participation in and access to research opportunities for low-income, LGBT+, disabled, and minoritized students. As an undergraduate, he enjoyed translating scientific papers and STEM articles into Spanish, and he assisted Wellstar Cobb Hospital with translating physical therapy documents for the local Hispanic community. His long-term career goal is to open his own psychiatry practice and run a psychiatric drug discovery research lab, synthesizing new medications to assist those with chronic disabilities like himself and his partner. When he’s not in the lab, he takes every chance he has to travel, whether it be to present his research in Boston or study abroad in South America. He also loves creating art, listening to alt music, cosplaying, playing video games, and spending time with his niece and nephew, who constantly call him a nerd.