Andrew (Mae) McShan
They/Them
I am non-binary structural biologist, biophysicist and immunologist.//
I always knew I wanted to be a scientist from a young age. I also always knew I was a non-binary scientist that didn’t fit into the expected societal and gender roles. During my early years of education in Texas it was particularly difficult to fully be myself, which initially stunted my goals to pursue a PhD. There was a blatant lack of support systems for non-cisgender male scientists. Luckily, during high school I was pulled into the incredible world of biochemistry & biophysics by an amazing queer scientist and found the confidence to own my identity as a positive force.
Since then I have been incredibly lucky to perform research at institutions, such as Genentech, the University of Kansas, University of California, Santa Cruz and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where the community is more vocal and accepting of diversity.
My research focuses on using computational and biophysical methods, such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, to undercover fundamental mechanisms of immunology and to develop novel therapeutics that target a broad range of diseases. I aim to run my own research group where I openly welcome members of the LGBTQAI+ community, scientists of colors and help elevate voices of underrepresented scientist.