鈥檚 fervent desire to solve problems is motivated by a group of women who have enriched his world鈥攊ntellectually and emotionally. With these essential people in mind, he has worked to foster a treasure trove of scientific discovery that focuses on health issues that primarily impact women.
His research discovers previously unknown scientific powers in the chemistry of breast milk and in the evolving sugars within that 鈥渓iquid gold鈥� that bolster the immune system and kill bacteria.
鈥淏reast milk is the second most important fluid on Earth, next to water,鈥� Townsend said. 鈥淢other鈥檚 milk serves as a primary way good bacteria are introduced to a baby鈥檚 system.鈥�
FIRST INSPIRATION
Townsend鈥檚 love for learning started with his mom, Frankie. She raised him, his younger brother and three younger sisters as a single parent in inner city Detroit. She was the first to see Townsend鈥檚 fascination with chemistry when he experimented with cleaning products in the house. She found him a safer alternative, which ended up being better for everyone.
鈥淢y mom is tough as nails but crazy compassionate. She wanted to harness my science obsession and keep me out of her kitchen, so she had me take care of a garden and figure out how to compost,鈥� Townsend said. 鈥淪he made me a gardener in the middle of Detroit.鈥�
When it came to navigating challenges of adolescence鈥攅specially when the family moved a lot, making Townsend the new kid in school five years in a row鈥攈is mom used science to keep him grounded.
鈥淢om kept comparing stuff I was dealing with in school or the neighborhood with my garden because she connected both to game theory,鈥� he said.
(Game theory is the study of mathematical models and strategic interactions in decision-making.)
鈥淢om said: 鈥楨verything鈥檚 a game. You鈥檝e got to be able to play the game and solve problems and make good decisions. The same stuff that you have to do to solve problems when it comes to your garden is the same socially, right? You鈥檝e got to be able to figure out the game.鈥� And I could relate to that,鈥� he said.
Townsend鈥檚 mom is a breast cancer survivor鈥攁nd is the inspiration behind his newest scientific work into easing the painful gastrointestinal side effects of chemotherapy:
鈥淚 started to think, if we go 30,000 feet in the air with this breast milk research, the mom makes specific things in her milk to protect her baby from specific illnesses or diseases. Adults have illnesses and diseases too. So which ones do adults have that are similar to babies, right? Then, how can we use those ingredients from breast milk to help adult disease?鈥�
PARTNER FOR LIFE
Townsend鈥檚 wife, LaToya, caught his attention early in college with her intellect, enthusiasm and passion for helping others. She has been his steadfast partner for 20 years as the two raise their daughters, Allison and Angela.
鈥淚鈥檓 extremely proud of him, and I hope that he is proud of himself because it is beautiful work he does,鈥� said LaToya Townsend, who works as deputy director of development for Davidson County鈥檚 Office of Family Safety. 鈥淗e didn鈥檛 have to focus his work on women. The fact that he is so passionate and interested in it is just beautiful, and it鈥檚 an honor to be married to a man like that.鈥�
It was Toya, through her pregnancy and early days with their first daughter, who inspired Townsend鈥檚 investigations into breast milk.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a born scientist, and I would see him just watching me with the baby, watching me breastfeed or pump. I could tell his brain was spinning. And he treated me with such a deep appreciation and love,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e cherishes us, and he shows it every day.鈥�
SCIENTIFIC MENTORS
Two female professors stepped up as his early mentors, helping set the first-generation college student onto his intellectual path in chemistry.
Kathleen Moore was a biochemist at Oakland University, where Townsend earned his undergraduate degree.
鈥淜athy got me to the lab because I had a science AP test score of five, and she was like, 鈥榊eah, I know the quality of Martin Luther King High School in Detroit, so, this kid probably has some juice,鈥欌�� Townsend said, laughing.
Moore then connected Townsend with a mentor who she thought would really challenge him: Amanda Bryant-Friedrich.
鈥淜athy said, 鈥業 can鈥檛 train you to be a Black scientist because I think you鈥檙e going to encounter some things that I myself never encountered,鈥欌�� Townsend explained. 鈥淎manda Bryant-Friedrich is a huge presence in chemistry, and she鈥檚 the person who really pushed me, even after I set half of her lab on fire.鈥�
DARE TO GROW
With the support of his mentors and his wife, Townsend moved to Nashville to complete his Ph.D. research in chemistry at Vanderbilt. After a time working at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Columbia University in New York City, he came back to Vanderbilt.
Townsend now has a highly collaborative organic chemistry lab filled with undergraduates, graduate and doctoral students.
鈥淚 try to make this as personal as possible for each student. You know, I had a former student who worked on an anti-cancer project because a lot of people in his family had cancer. So that was something that really motivated him to bring his butt to work every day,鈥� Townsend said.
And he鈥檚 thankful for the support from Vanderbilt to take risks.
鈥淭here are very few places like Vanderbilt. Nobody鈥檚 ever told me 鈥榥o鈥� when I鈥檝e come with a request or an idea. And I think just that willingness of Vanderbilt people to collaborate and do something that they may鈥檝e never even thought about鈥攕omething that could be bigger than themselves鈥攊s just phenomenal,鈥� he said.
Townsend takes Vanderbilt鈥檚 motto of 鈥渄are to grow鈥� to heart.
鈥淭here鈥檚 this rapper who died a couple of years ago, Nipsey Hussle, who had this rap that said, 鈥楬ow long should I stay dedicated? How long 鈥檛il opportunity meet preparation?鈥� And the second I heard Daniel Diermeier talk about 鈥榙are to grow,鈥� I thought of Nipsey Hussle鈥檚 rap,鈥� Townsend said.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to push boundaries with my research, especially with so many knowledgeable people here at Vanderbilt,鈥� he added. 鈥淲ith all the support I have here and at home, I鈥檓 going to swing for the fences.鈥�