To summarize the work of my CURF fellowship, the inception of my research project began with the observation that the proteins TERT and STAT5 physically and functionally interact to increase the expression of pro-calcification genes in Calcific Aortic Valve Disease (CAVD). This insight revealed a novel pathway by which calcification develops in valvular disease and…

Every research endeavor I have participated in thus far began with a personal connection to a lab’s disease focus. My first experience was within the Anolik laboratory at the University of Rochester Medical Center in my hometown of Rochester, NY. At the time, I became invested in my mother’s rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis, and while experiencing…