Concetta DiRusso, a biochemistry professor, has been selected as a Jefferson Science Fellow for 2014-15.

She was chosen from a large number of professors nationwide who are accomplished in the fields of science and engineering.

“I am very excited to have this opportunity and hope this experience will be of use in furthering UNL’s science and technology goals,” she said.

DiRusso will begin her fellowship in August. She will be working in Washington, D.C., with occasional trips abroad.

DiRusso’s current research programs focus on understanding the biochemical basis of lipid disorders, including obesity that leads to diabetes, fatty liver disease and cardiovascular diseases; developing drugs to prevent obesity-related diseases; and identifying small compound activators of lipid production in algae for use in renewable bifules.

Her research is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Read more about DiRusso here.

The Jefferson Science Fellowship establishes a new model for engaging the American academic science, technology, engineering and medical communities in the formulation and implementation of U.S. foreign policy. The JSF program is administered by the National Academies and supported through a partnership among the U.S. academic community, professional scientific societies, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development.