Laurence Spekterman is currently studying Art History at the University of Maryland College Park. His goals are to one day practice medicine and do brain plasticity and drug addiction research. He is currently conducting research at the Johns Hopkin material science and engineering lab studying the effects of different display materials on art works. In addition to this research on art conservation, he will be conducting research on a +3000 year old Egyptian basket from the ancient Egyptian New Kingdom period, identifying dyestuff and fibers still present in order to better understand the baskets origins and the history surrounding it. He has previously worked at the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) at Johns Hopkins Bayview, studying the effects of glucose and fructose on rat neural reward circuitry under Dr. Eugene Kiyatkin. Outside of academics, Laurence volunteers at Ahavas Yisrael, a food bank in Baltimore County, and is very active at the University of Maryland’s Art History Association and Pre-Med Society. He also enjoys various activities including running, traveling, and cooking.