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 How can you build a single molecule — millions of times too small for the eye to see — without ever setting foot in a chemistry lab?  "It's easier than you might think," says Lorena Hernandez.

Lorena and fellow chemistry majors are searching for ways to treat and prevent cancer through a new branch of research called computational chemistry — using powerful computers and complex software to simulate time-consuming experiments.  "Computational analyses can help screen potential cancer drugs in the early stages of the process, saving the time and money it would take to produce the drugs for testing," she said.

Using specialized software, Lorena "built" a molecular model of small proteins that have been linked to a reduced risk for breast cancer.  Then, she used the software to break the molecule into its different forms and analyze each for its potential to fight cancer.  "Building the molecule was a simple task, but the calculations took the computer two months," she said.  "Imagine how long it would have taken if we had to do the experiments and calculations by hand!"  Ultimately, any form of the active protein that appears to be stable could become the basis for actual drugs that are synthesized and tested in clinical trials. 

This work in cancer research helped to earn Lorena a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship — the premier national undergraduate award in mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.  In fact, she was one of two Hamilton students who were selected for the award from a field of 1,164 students nationwide. 

Now, Lorena is pursuing a cure even more furiously, and she plans to continue her work as a researching biochemist and practicing obstetrician/gynecologist.

"Every year, cancer affects millions of people of all ages and races," she said. "There's still a lot of work to be done, but I know that what we're doing makes a difference." 

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