In this episode, Dr. Kellen Cavagnero is joined by Dr. Dequina Nicholas. Dr. Nicholas is an Assistant Professor at the University of California Irvine in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. Her laboratory studies endocrine diseases, including type 2 diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome. Specifically, her group investigates the intersection of the nutrient environment, the immune system, and metabolic disease using a combination of molecular and cellular biology, transgenic mouse models, cytokine profiling, and flow cytometry. Dr. Nicholas is the recipient of numerous awards including the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award.

In their conversation, Kellen and Dequina discuss type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, lipid antigen presentation, transitioning to independence, DEI, and more.

Relevant Links:

• Nicholas Lab Website: https://nicholaslab.bio.uci.edu/

• Transitioning to Independence: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35644775/

• TikTok: @NicholasLab

• X: @QuinaScience

• Bluesky: @quinascience.bsky.social

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