Awarded in 2025
Home Department: Genetics
Faculty Advisors: Casey Gifford (Pediatrics – Cardiology and Genetics) and Michael Bassik (Genetics)

Research Title: Linking inflammation and Congenital Heart Disease Using a Cardioimmune Organoid System

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common type of birth defect, yet its genetic and environmental causes remain unclear. Inflammatory diseases from the mother and the fetus increase CHD risk, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. Lucy hypothesizes that immune cells in the heart, macrophages, can disrupt heart development under inflammatory condition. She will use a 3D organoid system co-culturing heart cells and immune cells to study how immune-cardiac crosstalk affects heart development under diseased states. This project aims to uncover novel mechanisms linking inflammation and CHD, providing insights into immune-related birth defects and potential therapeutic targets.