Molecular Physiology & Biophysics

Originally from Salina, Kansas, Jade graduated with a B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Toledo in 2019. During her undergraduate career, she studied the synthetic organic and medicinal chemistry of anti-cancer compounds in the lab of L.M. Viranga Tillekeratne, while also participating in various projects at both academic and industrial research institutions. Outside of the lab, she enjoys spending time with her cats and searching Nashville for new music, coffee, or cocktail spots.

Jade is interested in molecular physiology, cellular signaling and biological imaging techniques. Her project in the Arrojo e Drigo lab encompasses the use of interdisciplinary tools to study pancreatic cell development and homeostasis. The goal of this research is to establish the genetic architecture of beta cells at different postnatal developmental time points and reveal the connection between the beta cell transcriptome and epigenetic architecture and age.