Ioana is currently a PhD candidate in Cell and Molecular Biology at University of Pennsylvania. Prior to graduate school, she received a Bachelor’s of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering from Stony brook University in 2017. As an undergraduate student she also participated in the 2016 Amgen Scholars Program at Washington University in St. Louis. Her graduate work is focused on understanding how vascular metabolism is altered in the context of metabolic diseases such as atherosclerosis or diabetes. In her free time, Ioana enjoys exploring the Philly food scene and hiking. Ioana is passionate about teaching and mentoring students in biological sciences both in the classroom and at the bench. She is committed to helping prospective PhD students gain the information and skills they need to achieve their goals, and is incredibly excited to be part of the Project SHORT team!