News
Lab news
Awards, grants, talks, publications and lab updates.
2026 SACNAS Outstanding Research & Professional Mentor
Dr. Zurita Lopez was selected by a panel of SACNAS members, on a nomination by former student Juan Leal Doblado, for making access to science actively constructed rather than passively offered.
VR and lab anxiety at AERA 2026
Findings from the NSF-funded project on chemistry laboratory anxiety and self-efficacy, presented at the American Educational Research Association annual meeting.
Virtual reality as equitable lab access
Dr. Zurita Lopez presented evidence that VR practice can ease anticipatory anxiety before lab courses at the AAC&U Transforming STEM Higher Education conference.
VR in general chemistry labs at ASBMB TUEMLS
Early results suggesting VR modules reduce student anxiety in general chemistry labs were presented in St. Paul.
Fulbright visiting scholar joins the lab
Dr. Rigoberto Castro Beltrán of the Universidad de Guanajuato joined the lab through the Fulbright–COMEXUS program.
NSF award to close the equity gap in lab training
Dr. Zurita Lopez is Co-PI on a four-year NSF award building virtual-reality chemistry lab modules.
Chapman faculty research grant for histone crosstalk
A Chapman Office of Research grant supports work on how phosphoserine and arginine methylation interact in histone proteins.
PGC-1α methylation at DiscoverBMB
Dr. Zurita Lopez presented the lab's PGC-1α work at DiscoverBMB in Seattle and received a travel award.
Nine student co-authors on new Biochemistry paper
The lab's study showing that arginine methylation of the PGC-1α C-terminus is temperature dependent was published in Biochemistry.