Alexander Whitehead

I am pursuing a PhD in Bioengineering in the lab of Adam Engler. During my undergraduate training at Virginia Commonwealth University, I was first exposed to regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, and decided that doctoral training would help me to perform research in these areas. My thesis involves using multi-omics datasets to predict central pathways that can lead to regeneration after a heart attack, and using stem cells to model these processes. Ultimately, I hope to find better drug targets with less side effects to prevent and reverse fibrosis across organ systems. As I am finishing my PhD work and reflecting on the opportunities that have been afforded to me, I am especially grateful for the ARCS fellowship that allowed me to attend additional conferences and courses and gain training outside of my wheelhouse.