Ethan Tietze

Class of 2017

Education: Blended BS and MS in Biomedical Engineering at Cal Poly

 

Biography

Ethan is interested in regenerative medicine because he thinks the body's ability to repair itself is fascinating. He wants to understand these natural processes and work to enhance them to develop therapies for previously untreatable conditions. He is particularly interested in cardiovascular related regenerative medicine. He would like to understand the interaction between changing circulation and regeneration of tissues such as skeletal muscle. After completing the program, Ethan would like to continue working in a research environment in either the public or private sector.

Ethan is completing his internship in the lab of Rusty Gage at the Salk Institute. He is investigating LINE-1 elements and their potential role in the etiology of Schizophrenia. LINE-1 elements are retrotransposons, or genes that are capable of copying themselves into new locations within the genome; they are known to actively "jump" within the brain creating a mosaic of cells with distinct genomes. Dysregulation of retrotransposition is hypothesized to contribute to the development of Schizophrenia. To study this process they manipulate LINE-1 activity in developing mice and evaluate the impact on brain development and behavior as adults.