SparkMaster 2: New Software for Ca Spark Analysis (p 450)
Dr Jakub Tomek is a Sir Henry Wellcome Fellow at University of Oxford and UC Davis. He earned his BS and MS in Computer science at Charles University in Prague, and a PhD in Physiology at University of Oxford. He combines advanced computational modelling, cell and whole-heart imaging and image analysis to understand the mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmia and disease remodeling, currently focusing on diabetes. When not ‘sciencing’ or parenting, he enjoys playing music on the uilleann pipes and drinking tea (especially sheng puerh). He aims to spread the correct/original pronunciation of J. E. Purkinje (“Purkinye”, not ”Purkinzhee”) across the world. He can be found on Twitter @JakubTomek13.
Lymphatic Genes Prevent Cardiac Valve Disease (p 463)
Dr Yen-Chun Ho is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr Sathish Srinivasan at Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. Dr Ho has determined that Prox1 and Foxc2 that are necessary for lymphatic valve development are also necessary to prevent cardiac valve degeneration. He earned his PhD from the National Defense Medical Center in Taiwan and was trained by Dr Shaw-Fang Yet. For his PhD, he investigated the mechanisms of abdominal aortic aneurysm and vessel restenosis. His long term goal is to investigate the interaction between endothelial cells and perivascular cells in vascular diseases. Outside the lab, he enjoys playing basketball and is a big fan of Oklahoma City Thunder.
CCND2 modRNA Remuscularization Hearts with AMI (p 484)
Dr Jiacheng (Jason) Sun earned his MD from Dalian Medical University, China, and his MS in Cardiovascular Surgery from Soochow University, China. In 2020, he began pursuing his PhD at the University of Alabama at Birmingham under the mentorship of Dr Jianyi (Jay) Zhang. His research interests focus on exploring novel gene therapies and stem cell therapies to regenerate the injured heart after myocardial infarction. His research on modified mRNA is supported, in part, by the AHA Predoctoral Award. Apart from his scientific pursuits, he enjoys playing badminton, swimming and cooking. He can be found on Twitter @JasonSun_JS.
Dr Lu Wang earned her MS at Jimei University and completed her PhD at the University of Alabama at Birmingham under the mentorship of Dr Jianyi (Jay) Zhang. Her research interests primarily focus on utilizing hiPSC and engineered cardiac tissue types, and gene therapy to enhance cardiac repair in hearts with acute myocardial infarction. During her PhD training in cardiovascular research, she received support from the AHA Predoctoral Award. After successfully completing her PhD, Lu joined Bristol Myers Squib as a Scientist within the Lead Discovery and Optimization Department, where she is dedicated to making groundbreaking scientific discoveries. Beyond her professional pursuits, Lu finds joy in staying active and engaging in sports, especially jogging.