Kaitlyn Warren

I graduated from the University of Miami in 2016 with a B.S. and M.S. as part of a dual degree program in biological sciences. My research focus at the University of Miami was evolutionary and developmental biology using the model organism Mnemiopsis leidyi. My thesis project revolved around creating a primary cell culture system to study the evolution of cell types. I currently work at Penn State College of Medicine where I have worked on various projects. I have studied the epigenetic regulation of neural development, drug action in diabetic retinopathy, and the role of both miRNA and lncRNA in regulating gene expression. I have studied how the polycomb repressive complexes one and two (PRC1 and PRC2) are involved in neuronal differentiation as well as X chromosome inactivation (XCI). Additionally, I have studied the mechanisms of diabetic retinopathy by investigating gene expression and blood vessel structure of the retina. My areas of expertise include optimizing embryonic stem cell culture and differentiation protocols, CRISPR editing in stem cells, DNA and RNA FISH, retina flat mounts, ICC/IF, My research mostly focuses on molecular genetics and epigenetics