Celeste Maldonado Taheri

Name/Pronouns: Celeste Maldonado Taheri (she/her/hers)

Major: Nuclear Medicine

Minors: Chemistry and Health, Medicine and Human Values

Mentor: Dr. Karthik Suresh and Nicolas Philip, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

Current Research Title: Effect of BOHB on GPR41 and TRPV4 Channel in Endothelial Cells

Description: This project explores the effects of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BOHB), a byproduct of fatty acid oxidation, on microvascular endothelial cells with the intention of better understanding the effects and symptoms seen in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Similarly, other components such as the inhibitor G-protein coupling receptor called GPR41 and the calcium channel relevant to the cells referred to as TRPV4 are all believed to be affected by the presence of BOHB. Through calcium imaging and cADDIS imaging, I aimed to better understand how each part in the working schematic ultimately leads to the known rise in calcium levels in PAH models.

When, how, why you got involved in research: I first considered exploring research opportunities in my sophomore year of college because I wanted to better understand what an actual research process looked like in STEM. I asked my professors for any recommendations, to which they gleefully passed on to me a few fascinating projects to pursue. Admittedly, I did not get selected for the few that I applied to then, and this deterred me from attempting again until a year and a half later, when I watched a presentation given by URAD in one of my courses and decided to get in touch with them. It was after this connection with URAD and a little extra guidance that I was able to get into not one, not two, but THREE different research opportunities, all ranging in area of expertise and level of intensity (and also all incredibly fun and mesmerizing, too).

Piece of advice: Finding your footing can be difficult, and it was something I had to get help on myself. Remember that rejection is simply redirection, and that there are certainly many other opportunities out there waiting for you. Asking for guidance on how to get started if your lost is the most important first step!