Graduate Speaker Series at the Centre for Graduate Professional Development
The Centre for Graduate Professional Development (CGPD) is bringing back its graduate speaker series!
This program will give graduate students from all departments at U of T a chance to present their research and then discuss their ideas in an environment that encourages interdisciplinary learning and intellectual dialogue. Come listen to your colleagues talk about their research, or sign up to give a talk of your own.
Join us for the first event in the series on June 14 at 66 Harbord Street.
Event details
What does it mean to have a big heart?
Description: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic disease that causes thickening of the heart muscle and can lead to sudden cardiac death, however its mechanisms are not fully understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are molecules that regulate gene expression and could be involved in the development of HCM, but there is limited data on miRNA expression in HCM patients.
To address this, we conducted an unbiased screen to identify differentially expressed miRNAs using heart muscle cells and tissues from healthy donors or patients with mutations in genes associated with HCM. We identified several miRNAs that were upregulated or downregulated in HCM compared to healthy controls, which could provide insights into gene expression regulation in HCM and allow for miRNAs to be used as therapeutic targets to improve patient outcomes.
Featured speaker:
Doris Adao is a dedicated student and an aspiring educator. She completed her undergraduate degree in Biology at McMaster University, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto, under the supervision of Dr. Filio Billia and Prof. Craig Simmons.
Outside of academia, Doris is involved in various committees and community outreach programs dedicated to graduate professional development and promoting diversity in STEM programs.