1. people
Rowan Vitro. Credit: Jeff Liang

Rowan Vitro

PhD Candidate
Graduate Student Researcher
Email:
rborsari@ucsb.edu

Research

My doctoral research aims to characterize the differences in the nano-organization and nanomorphology of the contractile apparatus within the contractile apparatus of cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-CMs) as influenced by myosin heavy chain isoform types and mechanical strain. This characterization is largely unexplored, with only a handful of studies involving human models at all. To bridge this gap, I am developing a cutting-edge cryogenic electron microscopy and tomography workflow. This innovative approach will integrate iPSC-CMs and whole-cell studies across five orders of magnitude, covering all stages from sample preparation and imaging to reconstruction and data analysis.

Education

  • 2017 – 2022: B.S. Chemistry (ACS certification, honors), University of Tennessee – Knoxville
  • 2022 – Present: PhD Candidate, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCSB

Experience

  • 2018 – 2022: Undergraduate Researcher, University of Tennessee – Knoxville (Prof. David Jenkins)
  • 2019: REU Intern, Notre Dame University (Prof. Jon Camden)