Previous Training:  University of Rochester, Rochester, New York

The mechanisms behind how skeletal muscle progenitor cells (SMPCs) and satellite cells (SCs) arise across human development are not well understood. My research focuses on understanding the molecular differences among different SMPC and SC states in human myogenic differentiation. The goal is to generate and define the best myogenic populations from human pluripotent stem cells that ultimately can be used in personalized cell therapies for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. I am exploring various avenues to modulate the cell states of these populations.

Awards: NIH NRSA F31 NIAMS 2020-Current, UCLA Graduate Dean’s Scholar Award 2017-2019, NIH T32 Muscle Cell Biology, Pathogenesis, and Therapeutics Training Grant 2018-2019, BSCRC Training Grant 2019-2020