Hi! I am Zixie (Judy) from Shanxi, China. With both of my parents being doctors, I have always been dedicated to the pursuit of wellness, research and compassion for others, and I decided to contribute to the field of medicine through Bioengineering.
In 2020, I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from University of Pittsburgh with a major in Bioengineering focused on Cellular Engineering and a minor in Chemistry. During my undergraduate study, I worked on a project that innovatively added IL-4 eluting coating onto contact lenses to treat dry eye syndrome by shifting macrophage phenotype. Meanwhile, I found my interest in Tissue engineering, and then started my Master of Science study in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in Tissue Engineering at Duke University in Fall 2020.
In my spare time, my biggest interest is to collect and craft miniatures that reflect the real world in smaller sizes, which resonate with the human microphysiological systems (MPS) investigated in Truskey Lab. Therefore, in December 2020, I joined Truskey Lab, and started my research with Tissue Engineered Blood Vessel (TEBV) model, which models blood vessels at both healthy and disease state in a miniature scale and can be used as a better method than traditional 2D in-vitro or animal model for drug testing.
The specific TEBV model I am currently working on is an atherosclerosis model that functions through Endothelial Cell (EC) senescence induced by oxidative stress. I am exploring novel therapeutics including various senolytics and senomorphics that could either preserve or enhance the endothelial function in three dimensions based on our TEBV model and determine the best candidate for future clinical trials.
Beyond my interest in miniatures, I also enjoy travelling and interacting with diverse groups of people. I studied abroad in Italy and Germany during my undergraduate study, and I appreciate working with people from different countries at Truskey lab.
For the future, I want to pursue a Ph.D. in the field of tissue engineering and continue my study in MPS.
Contact Information
- Email Address: zl281@duke.edu