B.S. Bioengineering, B.A. Dance - University of California, San Diego

In the TTDD group, Claudia is interested in developing devices that deliver both mechanical assistance and biological therapy to the heart and wants to use them to understand mechanisms of disease. Prior to joining the TTDD group, Claudia was a member of Dr. Francisco Villarreal’s lab in the Division of Cardiology at UCSD. There, she examined the effects of nutraceutical compounds in ventricular mechanics, nitric oxide production, and adipocyte browning. She aims to pursue a career in academia and aspires to encourage students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, to pursue careers in STEAM. As an HST Student Diversity Ambassador, she currently works to increase representation and foster a supportive community for HST minority students. Outside of MIT, Claudia works to expand access to high quality science education in Mexico through Clubes de Ciencia MX and is a dance apprentice with Danza Orgánica, a social-justice oriented dance theater company, with whom she performs around New England.