Desmond Edwards

Desmond Edwards, from St. Mary, Jamaica, is pursuing an MD and a PhD in microbiology and immunology at Stanford School of Medicine. He graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with bachelor's degrees in biological engineering and biology. Desmond is interested in infectious diseases — both in understanding their underlying mechanisms and also devising novel therapeutics to fulfill unmet patient needs. He further aspires to blend this research with public policy, outreach, and education. He has investigated and engineered host-pathogen interactions in MIT's Lamason lab and has evaluated AAV gene therapies in Caltech's Gradinaru lab and at Voyager Therapeutics. Desmond was the first undergraduate to serve as co-president of the MIT Biotech Group, was co-president of MIT's Biological Engineering Undergraduate Board, and was vice-captain of MIT's quidditch team. He is a recipient of MIT's Whitehead Prize in Biology, MIT's Peter J Eloranta Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, and a 2021 Amgen Scholars Fellowship.