Nadia Ayoub

Nadia Ayoub is a Professor of Biology at Washington and Lee University (W&L), renowned for her research on spider silk protein chemistry and circadian rhythms. She actively involves undergraduate students in her work, collaborating on publications and experimental design. Her research bridges evolutionary biology and material science, aiming to mimic natural silk properties for advanced materials.

• Education: B.S. from University of Georgia; Ph.D. from University of Tennessee; NIH postdoc at University of California, Riverside.

Research Focus: Ayoub's work explores how spiders regulate silk gene expression in response to environmental factors like diet and light cycles. Her NSF-funded study on circadian rhythms investigates evolutionary adaptability in spiders' internal clocks.

Scientific Engagement: She has presented at W&L's Nobel Prize Symposium (2023) and been featured in Wired (2021) for her insights on spider silk applications.

• Awards: National Science Foundation Grant (2023).

Mentorship: Ayoub has mentored students such as Andrew Mah ’18 (circadian rhythms research) and Enkhbileg Dendev ’21, Merrina Lan ’22 (PLOS ONE publication revision).