Xiaopei Chen
Characterizing Cardiomyocyte Migration in Mammalian Heart Regeneration
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the US. In particular, heart failure has been declared a global pandemic. Heart failure is often a result of the human heart’s inability to regenerate damaged tissue after events like heart attack. Previous studies in the regeneration model zebrafish has shown that successful heart regeneration requires both cell proliferation and cell migration to the injury site, the latter process is less understood in mammalian model. Using neonatal mice, which can regenerate heart tissue for one week after birth, I aim to investigate the migratory activity of mammalian heart muscle cell (cardiomyocyte) through in vitro and ex vivo assays, transcriptomic analysis, and gene overexpression. By characterizing activities and mechanisms of mammalian cardiomyocytes migration, this research may lead to potential therapeutic options to promote heart repair in human.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you so much for supporting this opportunity. Being able to dedicate my summer to full-time research means the world to me, both personally and professionally. This opportunity allows me to continue learning in the Huang Lab and working on exciting research, which inspires my long-term goal of contributing to biomedical innovation. I’m sincerely grateful for your generosity and belief in undergraduate research.