BS Molecular Biology University Honors- Brigham Young University, April 2020
LInkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zak-webber/
Pubmed: Pubmed
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6409-0437
I grew up in Payson, Utah and love small-town life. Following a two-year ecclesiastic mission in Spain, I attended Brigham Young University and graduated with a degree in molecular biology. My honors thesis investigated the ability of common sunflowers to remove uranium from pooled groundwater in the Navajo Nation. Through this project I was able to collaborate with high school students in Chinle, Arizona. (1,2). I simaltaneously participated in Marc Hansen's (PhD) laboratory and helped to validate a new synthesis technique and identify a novel JAK1 JH2 pseudokinase inhibitor (3). I gained experience in tissue culture, luciferase assays, and drug discovery. Following graduation, I worked as a high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technician for Recursion Pharmaceuticals, and gained experience working with industry state-of-the-art technologies as the company made their initial public offering.
I love research and medicine and am still deciding my research and medical specialities. Outside of studies, I love trail running, getting outdoors with my wife, or socializing with the MD-PhD family. I am passionate about balance, ice cream, and Star Wars.
College Undergraduate Research Award 2019, 2020, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.
Undergraduate Mentored Learning Scholar 2019, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.
Hearts & Hands Award, 2019, Utah Philanthropy Day, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Patel, S.B., Webber, Z., Strah, D.D., Hellinger, R.D., Yrun-Duffy, M., Kowalek, K.A., and Seckeler, M.D. (2023). Acute Hospital Outcomes for Renal Transplantation in Patients With Moderate or Severe Congenital Heart Disease. The American Journal of Cardiology 186, 87-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2022.10.034
Seckeler, M.D., Webber, Z. & Fox, K.A. Using 3D Printed Heart Models for Surgical and Catheterization Planning in Congenital Heart Disease. Curr Treat Options Peds (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40746-022-00238-x
Webber, Z. R., Webber, K. G. I., Rock, T., St. Clair, I., Thompson, C., Groenwald, S., Aanderud, Z., Carling, G. T., Frei, R. J., & Abbott, B. W. (2021). Diné citizen science: Phytoremediation of uranium and arsenic in the Navajo Nation. Science of The Total Environment, 794, 148665. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148665
Singleton, J. D., Dass, R., Neubert, N. R., Smith, R. M., Webber, Z., Hansen, M. D. H., & Peterson, M. A. (2020). Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines: Discovery of a selective inhibitor of JAK1 JH2 pseudokinase and VPS34. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 30(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmcl.2019.126813