About Cailin
Cailin is currently a PostDoc at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has a PhD/MBA. She obtained her bachelor's degree in Biochemistry with a minor in Biology from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research is centered around immunological-based interventions and the mechanisms of inflammatory damage in the context of stress and cardiovascular disease. Cailin brings a multidisciplinary and translational approach to her scientific endeavors, seamlessly integrating her interests across the bench, bedside, and business.
She worked as an Innovate Fellow with the Bill L. Harbert Institute, overseeing the latest campus inventions and approaches research from the cutting edge of innovation.
During her graduate studies, Cailin has received prestigious awards, including a T32 and F31 from the National Institutes of Health. A dedicated member of the American Physiology Society (APS), she serves as an Ambassador for APS and is a trainee chair of the Water and Electrolyte Steering Committee.
Cailin has showcased her research on various international platforms and earned accolades such as the Water & Electrolyte Homeostasis Research Recognition Award at Experimental Biology 2022. Beyond her academic pursuits, she finds joy in hiking with her dog, FrootLoop, reading, and social Salsa dancing.
Early Life Stress (ELS)
Early Life Stress encompasses adverse experiences before the age of eighteen, such as physical harm or persistent verbal abuse, and it is heartbreakingly common, affecting half of the U.S. population.
People who are exposed to ELS have increased risk for Cardiovascular Disease and Autoimmune Diseases
Research focus
Cailin’s research focuses on the impact of ELS on the development of heart disease and autoimmune disease, specifically Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE).
Understanding its potential long-term health consequences, particularly its link to an increased risk of heart disease and autoimmune conditions, is crucial.
Her research not only marks a pioneering effort to model ELS in a mouse model of SLE but also holds promise for shedding light on ways to mitigate the lasting impacts of early life stress on heart health and inflammatory conditions in humans.
Areas of expertise
Effects of Early Life Stress on Immune phenotypes and disease risk
Immunology in cardiovascular and renal disease
Research methods
Flow cytometry
Telemetry and wire/pressure myography
Cell culture
Basic biochemical and molecular techniques (ELISA, immunoblotting, immunoprecipitation, PCR, protein purification, etc)
