CALTECH/UCLA BIOENGINEERING - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair Academic Personnel
Dr. Adrian Arrieta graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor's of Science in Molecular Toxicology in 2011. It was in a senior genetics and genomics class at UC Berkeley that his desire to study the molecular mechanisms of disease grew, leading to the pursuit of his M.S. and PhD in Molecular Biology at San Diego State University. Dr. Arrieta performed his doctoral studies in the laboratory of Dr. Christopher C. Glembotski at San Diego State University. His research focused on ER protein misfolding that occurs due to reductive stress that occurs in cardiac myocytes during ischemia/reperfusion injury. Dr. Arrieta received the 2021 JBC Herbert Tabor Early Career Investigator Award for this work. Dr. Arrieta is now a post-doctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Thomas M. Vondriska at UCLA, where he is currently focusing on mechanisms of protein quality control in the context of chromatin remodeling dynamics in the heart. His research in Dr. Vondriska's laboratory is currently funded by the NHLBI NIH UCLA/Caltech Integrated Cardiometabolic Medicine for Bioengineers T32 Research Service Award.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice Research Chair
Job Titles:
- Professor
- Vice Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness
Job Titles:
- Professor of Anesthesiology
Dr. Niklason is a Professor of Anesthesiology and Biomedical Engineering, and Vice Chair for Research at Yale University. She is a member of the National Academy of Medicine for her leading expertise in tissue engineering. As the Program Director of the T32 Research Training in Anesthesiology, and founder of Humancyte, Inc., Dr. Niklason has empowered a team of women clinician scientists to deliver transformative applications to improve patient quality of life.
Leslie Sedgeman, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow. Prior to joining the Tarling-Vallim lab at UCLA, I received a BA in chemistry from Vassar College, and a PhD in Molecular Physiology from Vanderbilt University, in the laboratory of Dr. Kasey Vickers. I joined UCLA as a postdoc in November 2018, and have been investigating the posttranscriptional mechanisms of gene regulation in bile acid and cholesterol metabolism. Broadly, my research interests center around understanding how cells and organisms sense and respond to nutrients. I have also held leadership positions in the Postdoctoral Association at UCLA and am a member of the Postdoctoral Scholar Advisory Committee, both aimed at improving the postdoc experience at UCLA. I am also deeply committed to the improving professional and career development opportunities for science trainees and am an active member of Biotech Connections Los Angeles, working to engage and connect scientists, entrepreneurs, and industry professionals. Outside the lab, I enjoy cooking, traveling, hiking, and exploring the Southern California beaches.
Job Titles:
- Bren Professor of Medical Engineering and Electrical Engineering
Sahar Andalib is a recipient of the NIH postdoctoral training award in a joint program between UCLA and CalTech. Her research involves the application of machine learning and data-driven techniques in wearable biomedical sensing to enhance the robustness of these devices and address one of the main challenges for the everyday use of wearable biomedical sensors. She received her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA in 2021. Her Ph.D. research focused on experimental, theoretical, and data-driven aspects of binary and multi-component droplet evaporation under various environmental conditions. Sahar also has experience in the field of medical device industry.
Job Titles:
- Distinguished Professor and Chair of Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Shroff is the Distinguished Professor and Chair of Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh. As the Program Director for the T32 Cardiovascular Bioengineering and the PI of the Coulter Translational Research Partnership II at Pittsburgh CTSI, Dr. Shroff spearheaded the partnership with Medical Center to stimulate alliances with the diverse opportunities in industry.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Medical Engineering