Name: Christa Trexler
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Lab: Ju Chen Lab, UC San Diego
Lab website: http://juchenlab.ucsd.edu/homepage.htm
Hobbies: Hiking, camping, reading, cross-stitching
What do you study? Our lab focuses on understanding the ways in which the heart develops and responds to disease. We are particularly interested in identifying specific proteins in the heart that are essential for these processes. By creating genetic animal models in the lab, we are able to study many different proteins in the heart. Mice have very similar hearts to humans, so they are a really good model for studying the heart in the lab.
Why is it important? Heart disease is the most common disease worldwide so understanding everything about the heart under normal, healthy conditions and during disease is critical to making sure we create the most effective medicine.
What piqued your interest in science? I have always been very interested in asking questions, which is a key part of being a scientist. I had a really great chemistry teacher in high school who showed me how fun science could be.
What do you like about being a scientist? I love that every day is different, and I get to spend my days doing what I love, which is asking questions. It is also really rewarding to think that my work will hopefully be beneficial for our communities.
What are 5 general vocabulary terms someone should know going into your field of science?
protein, gene, microscopy, cell, DNA
What are 5 specific vocabulary terms someone should know about your research?
transgenic mice, cardiomyocyte, fractional shortening, genotype, sarcomere