Home Department: Human Biology
Mentor: Peter Jackson, Microbiology & Immunology

2019 Research Project: The role of primary cilia in cystic kidney disease, and the mechanism by which repair of tissue damage requires regulation of hypoxia, both remain poorly characterized. Using super-resolution localization and cell viability studies, Tracy aims to better understand oxygen-dependent molecular mechanisms in cystic renal tissue by studying the role of a specific enzyme called asparagine hydroxylase as well as ciliary genetics in cystic kidney disease biology.

2020 Research Project: “Elucidating the Pathways Driving Adipogenesis”

Tracy will be using bioinformatic analysis of a CRISPR screen and genomics and proteomics data to build models for how adipogenesis and the differentiation of fat cells work. Based on a genome-wide screen, Tracy will be analyzing data from a suite of public databases and integrating this data towards building hypotheses for additional directed experiments. This work will improve our understanding of new pathways driving differentiation.