Stephanie Heimler Bernard

PhD Candidate, UC San Diego School of Medicine

San Diego, California, United States

About

Hardworking and self-motivated PhD candidate in the Biomedical Sciences graduate program at UC San Diego School of Medicine. My research interests include cellular mechanisms of neurological disease, mitochondrial bioenergetics, and stem cell and regenerative therapies. My graduate thesis project investigates mechanisms underlying systemic mitochondrial impairments associated with aging and cognitive decline. I am interested in pursuing a career in industry focusing on novel neurological therapeutics.

Experience

  • Biomedical Science PhD Student at University of California, San Diego - School of Medicine
    Sep 2019 - Present · 6 yrs 10 mos

    PhD student, Anthony Molina Laboratory. Specific research interests include: mechanisms of neurodegenerative disease, age-related mitochondrial bioenergetics, compound screening through multi-omic approaches, and therapeutic target identification.

  • Graduate Student Program Director at UC San Diego Hillel
    Sep 2019 - Present · 6 yrs 10 mos

    Established and direct the first Jewish graduate/medical student community through UCSD Hillel

  • Research And Development Intern at Eli Lilly and Company
    Aug 2023 - Nov 2023 · 4 mos

    Graduate intern in the NGTx (next-generation therapeutics) Neuroscience preclinical research team.

  • Graduate Student Researcher at Salk Institute for Biological Studies
    Jan 2022 - May 2022 · 5 mos

    Derived dermal fibroblasts from human skin punch biopsies from clinical studies. Reprogrammed fibroblasts to iPSCs; directly convert (transdifferentiate) fibroblasts to induced neurons (iNs).

  • Staff Research Associate at University of California San Diego
    Mar 2018 - Jun 2019 · 1 yr 4 mos

    Molecular genetic strategies to combat Malaria and other vector-borne diseases. Analyzed mechanisms and efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive and reversal drive as an antimalarial approach; conducted multi-generation genetic crosses, cloning and sequencing experiments.