Maria Claudina Fernandez Laurita, BSc.

Studies & experience: Claudina is an international student from Argentina who earned her BSc in Biomedical Science at North Carolina Wesleyan University. During college, she actively sought out experiences that would help her explore her next steps away from home. She was part of a physics lab and participated in the Summer Biomedical Research Program at Brody School of Medicine at ECU. There, she worked on a project exploring the potential use of stem cells to express TRAIL protein to trigger apoptosis in solid tumors. The study also investigated the use of nanoparticles to modulate these mechanisms and control TRAIL expression post-therapy. Currently, she works as a research associate at Dr. Izzo’s Lab, where she’s been expanding her wet lab skills and diving into single-cell technologies to better understand the mechanisms behind the development of resistance to HMA treatment in diseases like MDS and AML.

Hobbies:  Loves dancing (specially ballet), trying her best at squash, spending time with dogs, trying different foods, and drinking lots of coffee.

Future goals: Claudina plans to apply to medical school in the U.S. She’s always been passionate about orthopedics and is equally excited about how technology and innovation can improve people’s quality of life, especially that of her future patients.