Lauren Harstad

B.Sc., Arizona State University, 2023

Lauren is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She pursued her undergraduate studies at Arizona State University working in the laboratory of Professor Kyle Biegasiewicz on chemoenzymatic methods for the synthesis and functionalization of heterocycles. During this time, she also had the opportunity to intern at Merck’s Discovery Chemistry site in Boston, Massachusetts, where she worked on a palladium-catalyzed directed arylation of bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes. After graduating from ASU with degrees in Chemistry and Biological Sciences, Lauren began her graduate studies at Princeton University, joining the MacMillan lab in 2023. In her free time, Lauren enjoys reading, hiking, playing piano, watching baseball, and going to concerts.

Fun Facts

• Lauren loves to cook and bake. She is known for making her own pasta from scratch!
• An avid traveler, Lauren has been to nine countries so far.
• Lauren's high school in Albuquerque has been used to film both Breaking Bad and Stranger Things.