Collaborators

Rhonda Bacher

Christopher Martyniuk 

Brad Barbazuk

Visiting Scholars

Sasha Spada-O'Neill          email: sspadaoneill@ufl.edu

 I am a doctoral candidate at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and have joined the Vulpe lab through the Florida Veterinary Scholar Program. I am a double gator and attended the University of Florida as an undergraduate where I was first exposed to research in the Animalia Lab. This summer I am working under principal investigators Dr. Martyniuk, Dr. Vulpe, and Dr. Estrada along with postdoc Dr. Noble to screen the efficacy of CRISPR/cas9 gene editing strategy to correct the pyruvate dehydrogenase 4 mutation in canine fibroblasts, and eventually, in cardiomyocytes. If successful, CRISPR may be a viable therapy for patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. My long term goal is to contribute to the development and innovation of veterinary medicine - to widen the scope of care for our pets. ​