Crystal received an NIH Predoctoral Fellowship for the period July 1, 2020 - June 30,2023 for the project entitled "Progeria and Vasculature: Investigating Genetic Effects and the Potential of Genome Editing for Treatment".  Her research examines Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) is a rare, accelerated-aging disease that leads to death in patients by their early teens.The disease is caused by a de novo point mutation in one allele of the LMNA gene.  Crystal will examine the hypothesis that when exposed to laminar flow, HGPS ECs experience differential expression of genes involved in EC dysfunction, leading to the development of atherosclerosis.