Name: Chris Balak
Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona
Hobbies: Surfing, fishing, snowboarding
Lab: Dr. Christopher K. Glass, UCSD
Lab website: Glass Laboratory
What do you study?
I study gene regulation in cells, or how the different cells in our body use different sets of genes to perform and accomplish their specific functions. More specifically, I study gene regulation in unique cells in our brain called microglia. Microglia are the main immune cells of the brain, helping to keep it healthy and functioning properly during health and disease.
Why is it important?
Studying how microglia respond and change during normal aging as well as during disease give us clues into the special processes in cells that might be dysfunctional during neurological diseases. Once these processes are uncovered, we can study the proteins and pathways involved in more detail. This knowledge is essential and incredibly important for the development of new drugs to potentially treat these disorders.
What piqued your interest in science?
A documentary on PBS on the human body. I was completely fascinated on how it works and how it can accomplish all the invisible and complex actions it performs every day to keep us alive.
What do you like about being a scientist?
I like being able to work at the cutting edge of what is known and working towards uncovering new avenues of treatment that could help patients. I also enjoy the independence and the constant new challenges which don’t allow it to become boring for too long.
What are 5 general vocabulary terms someone should know going into your field of science?
Cells, genes, RNA, proteins, DNA sequencing
What are 5 specific vocabulary terms someone should know about your research?
Microglia, chromatin, transcription factors, disease-associated microglia, transgenic mice