Project Title: Biogenesis of hERG1a/1b Ion Channels in Health and Disease Model Cardiomyocytes
Position: Postdoctoral Research Associate
Institution: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Funding NIH Institute/Center: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Project ID: K99HL169909
Lisandra Flores-Aldama, PhD, is an Afro-Cuban raised in a women-only household. Her passion for science started in high school through her interest in how the laws of physics and chemistry regulate cellular processes. As a biochemistry student at Universidad de La Habana, Cuba, Dr. Flores-Aldama received training in proteomics and fell in love with proteins and their functional and structural diversity. After graduating summa cum laude, she moved to Chile where she pursued her PhD in cell and molecular biology, studying the biophysics of ion channels and transporters under the mentorship of Sebastian Brauchi, PhD. After finishing her degree summa cum laude, she joined the laboratory of Gail Robertson, PhD at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she currently studies the gating mechanism and the biogenesis of hERG1 ion channels. Her main project aims to uncover the molecular determinants for the biogenesis of hERG1 heterotetramers in cardiomyocytes, mainly focusing on the role of RNA structure during this process. Dr. Flores-Aldama co-founded Black in Biophysics, a movement highlighting Black biophysicists and their excellent science. She is a member of the Biophysical Society’s committee for inclusion and diversity, actively involved in organizing the Justice for Underrepresented Scholars Training in Biophysics (JUST-B) Poster Session that takes place at each Biophysical Society annual meeting. She is also a member of the Council of the Society of General Physiologists. Dr. Flores-Aldama has participated in multiple outreach activities to encourage Black and Hispanic teenagers to follow a career in science.