Rahul Jasthi, a junior studying biochemistry at Saint Louis University, received the prestigious 2026 Goldwater Scholarship for his work as a member of the Znosko lab. Jasthi has been conducting research on mRNA in the Znosko lab for over a year, providing meaningful contributions to the lab’s output..
The Goldwater scholarship, named after late Senator Barry Goldwater, is a prestigious award given to 200 undergraduate sophomores and juniors around the country each year. Recipients can receive up to $7,500 and recognition of their contributions to STEM research.
Jasthi said that the Goldwater scholarship impacts him today with financial aid, but will also aid in his future career.
“My next goal is to apply for an MD-PhD program,” Jasthi said. “Having a nationally recognized research award helps sort of legitimize and validate all the research that I’ve done.”
Brent Znosko, a professor in the department of Chemistry, oversees the work done in the Znosko lab where Jasthi works. Students conduct research to predict how RNA sequences fold into an active three dimensional shape. This work serves as a foundation for other researchers. Data from the lab was even used for the creation of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
Biochemistry students are required to participate in research to graduate, students are typically expected to dedicate around five hours per week on research. Znosko said that Jasthi greatly exceeded his expectations and worked nearly 25 hours per week.
“In research he came in, as all students do, not knowing anything. But then he quickly picked it up. He has a lot of initiative, and is very independent,” Znosko said.
Jasthi is also a part of the Foundational Interdisciplinary Research Experience program, intended to expose undergraduates to hands-on research projects that span across multiple academic disciplines.. Znosko said that Jasthi’s experience in adjacent fields with Professor How was influential for all other biochemistry students.
“Because Rahul is a biochemistry major and a CS minor, he’s a nice connection between the other biochemistry students and CS students,” Znosko said. “He’s actually been the driving force for that project and trying to get everyone moving forward. He takes the lead on all of the work being presented. He just devotes so much time to research.”
Znosko said that Jasthi not only stands out in the lab, but also in the classroom.
“Rahul is in my biochemistry class, and you can tell that he’s thinking about the material, because he doesn’t ask surface-level questions. He asks deep questions, and a lot of the questions I don’t even know the answers to,” Znosko said.
Rebecca Muich, honors director at SLU, helps advise students’ applications for scholarships such as this one, and said that her office played a large part in helping Jasthi apply for the scholarship.
“Ideally what [the Goldwater Foundation] is trying to do is figure out how to invest in students who are already demonstrating excellent promise as researchers and incentivize them to keep going on that career path,” Muich said. “It’s really challenging because you have to be able to talk about [your research] in a way that is relatable to generalists, but also demonstrates that you are an advanced researcher and you know what you’re talking about.”
The campus deadline for the Goldwater scholarship is Dec. 1. For the application, students must detail all research experiences, write a research essay, develop a few personal statements and receive three letters of recommendation.
Jasthi gave some advice to future students who may be interested in also applying for the Goldwater scholarship.
“My biggest piece of advice is to start early,” Jasthi said. “The biggest resource, if you can’t make any of the info sessions, is the Goldwater website. Specifically the Open House section on their website. They go through each part of the application, step-by-step. It’s a good way to make sure you’re hitting exactly what they’re asking for.”
To learn more about the Goldwater Scholarship and how to apply visit goldwaterscholarship.gov or contact Rebecca Muich.
