Mikelle Foster

Class of 2019

Education: BS and MS in Biology at Cal Poly

 

Biography

Stem cell research interests Mikelle because the field encompasses many different avenues of study, and each avenue has the potential to treat and cure diseases as opposed to only mitigating symptoms. She is particularly interested in how stem cells can be utilized in the treatment of diabetes, as well as the applications of regenerative medicine in nervous system connectivity. Following the program, she plans to attend medical school. Her goal is to use the knowledge she has gained in order to develop better treatments and procedures for her patients.

Mikelle is completing her internship in the Laurent lab at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, located on the UCSD campus. Much of the work done in the Laurent lab focuses on characterization of extracellular vesicles (EVs) released from various cell types that may or may not be in certain disease states. These EVs contain small RNA molecules that are often involved in cell signaling. Under the guidance of Thomas Touboul and Srimeenakshmi Srinivasan, Mikelle’s work focuses specifically on EVs released from pluripotent stem cells undergoing several stages of pancreatic differentiation.