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Congratulations to Edward De La Uz, a Ph.D. student and graduate teaching assistant in the Schmidt College of Science’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, who attended the Microscopy and Microanalysis (M&M) conference from Aug. 2 to 6 in Milwaukee, where he was presented with the 2026 Raleigh and Clara Miller Memorial Scholarship Award. His paper, “Exploring the Ultrastructural Organization of Collagenous Tissues Using Emerging Imaging Modalities,” was selected as one of two Miller Memorial Scholarship awardees from a highly competitive pool.

“It feels quite rewarding and a little unexpected!” expressed De La Uz. “I was excited for the opportunity to present a poster, so receiving the award and full talk was a welcome surprise.”

His research aims to better understand organic and inorganic biological matrix materials from a materials chemistry perspective, using two case studies of collagenous tissues in diseased and physiological states: cancer therapy-induced bone damage in mouse models and graded calcification of shark vertebral cartilage. His research aims to provide insights into the cartilage-osteochondral interface, which is pivotal to improving the diagnostics and treatment of widespread drug-induced or degenerative bone or joint diseases.

“One of the projects included in this presentation was seeing the early impacts of anticancer drugs, such as Doxorubicin, which has great implications for understanding the prognosis and treatments for a medication that has been in use for decades,” he noted.

The M&M 2026 conference, hosted by the Microscopy Society of America, is the largest scientific meeting and gathering of microscopy and microanalysis professionals, academics, technicians, students and exhibitors in the world. The event provides a forum for the presentation and discussion of a wide range of microscopy and microanalysis techniques and their application to the biological and physical sciences.