Joined lab in 2023 and anticipate graduating in 2028

I have a BS in microbiology and an MS in Genetics from the University of Minnesota. I worked in a clinical research laboratory for 15 years studying fatty acids and their association with various cardiovascular diseases as well as maternal and fetal health. My background was primarily in epidemiological studies prior to graduate school. I joined the IBP Graduate program in 2023 and the O’Connell Lab in 2024. My thesis project focuses on the role of the orexin system in protecting against ischemia cardiomyopathy (ICM). Orexin signals through two orexin receptors (GPCRs) and appear to be cardioprotective, although the extent and mechanism of cardioprotection is currently unknown. My goal is to elucidate these mechanisms and understand their therapeutic potential using in vitro and in vivo models of ischemic-reperfusion in jury, as well as determine a clinical role of genetic mutations in orexin receptor genes in an epidemiological approach. After obtaining my graduate degree, I would like to pursue a Clinical Chemistry fellowship and become a clinical lab director along with a research focus.