Keya is a Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics major and Classical Civilizations minor at UCLA. Keya has been interested in biology from a young age and developed an interest in research and problem-solving throughout high school. She is now exploring microbiology research at the Hill Lab at UCLA, where she studies the deadly parasite Trypanosoma brucei. For her Beckman Scholars project, Keya will be studying the motility and function of this parasite. She will focus on identifying the interdependencies between proteins within the microtubules of the T. brucei flagellum, as well as characterizing these proteins. Keya hopes to gain a lifelong scientific community through Beckman Scholars to help her build a career in research. She plans to continue on to a PhD in Microbiology or Genetics after her time at UCLA. In her free time, Keya enjoys knitting, reading Greek mythology, and swimming.