Awarded in 2014
Home Department: Biology
Faculty Advisor: Lucy O’Brien (Molecular & Cellular Physiology) and Matthew Scott (Developmental Biology)

Research Title: Investigating a novel link between tissue structure and cell differentiation during organ self-renewal

Research Description: Adult stem cells maintain homeostasis by balancing the generation of new cells with loss of differentiated cells. This task is achieved through the regulation of asymmetric and symmetric division fates. Understanding how different fate outcomes are controlled is a crucial step toward understanding how tissue homeostasis is achieved. Paola will explore the role of tissue structure in regulating division fates in the epithelial lining of the Drosophila midgut.

WHERE IS SHE NOW?

Paola is currently a Civic Science Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science's (AAAS) Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion program (DoSER), where she works at the frontier of science, faith, and community, helping bridge scientific institutions with the communities and belief systems that shape how people relate to science.