This Biophysics Week, the Committee for Inclusion and Diversity is highlighting some of the outstanding researchers who participated in the Justice for Underrepresented Scholars Training in Biophysics (JUST-B) Poster Session at the Biophysical Society's 66th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.
Today's featured student is Whitney Stevens-Sostre, a PhD Candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
What is your current position?
I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Neuroscience Training Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I work in the laboratory of Dr. Gail Robertson, where I study structure-function relationships of members of the KCNH family of voltage-gated potassium ion channels. KCNH channels, also known as the Ether-à-go-go (Eag) family, have important roles in neuronal excitability and cardiac repolarization.
Please share a brief description of your research.
The goal of my PhD dissertation project is to investigate the role of the KCNH channel intracellular domains in gating by integrating cutting-edge structural, computational, and electrophysiological approaches. By understanding the molecular mechanism(s) by which the interactions between the intracellular domains are integrated by the gating machinery to control the physiological function of KCNH channels, I hope to provide novel insights into their physiological roles within the brain and heart.
Can you please provide a few potential applications of your research?
The dysfunction of these KCNH ion channels is implicated in a variety of diseases, which makes them promising targets for both diagnostic markers and the development of therapeutic drugs. The human Ether-à-go-go–Related Gene (hERG) and human EAG1 (hEAG1) channels, for example, are both aberrantly expressed in several types of cancer cells and play important roles in cancer progression. In addition, hERG channel mutations are responsible for long-QT syndrome and non-specific blockage of hERG by drugs can lead to sudden death via lethal cardiac arrhythmias.
How might your research be relevant to those who are not working in your specific field?
KCNH channels like hEAG1 and hERG possess unique and highly conserved intracellular domains that have evolved to serve unique physiological roles, one of these being ion channel modulation. The mechanism(s) of gating I study could also be conserved between members of the KCNH channel family, or even across other closely related ion channel families. Thus, my research provides insights into how ion channels can contribute to their respective physiological roles.
What was your favorite thing about the recent BPS meeting in San Francisco?
Being able to present my research and connect with friends and colleagues at BPS 2022 was wonderful, especially after the shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. I was also happy to be a part of the inaugural JUST-B Poster Session, where I could see so many trainees presenting their research with enthusiasm. But I have to say that my favorite thing about the 2022 BPS Meeting was to finally meet in-person with several national and international members of the Black In Biophysics community.
What is your favorite thing about biophysics?
My favorite thing about biophysics is the interdisciplinary nature of the research. Biophysicists use multiple complementary techniques and models to understand the molecular basis of biological processes. It’s truly remarkable how far the development of different methods, such as cryo-EM, single-molecule imaging, and molecular dynamics simulations, among others, have taken us as a field. I look forward to seeing how we grow 10 years from now!
What do you like to do outside of work/school?
Outside the lab, I enjoy gaming, watching anime, and spending time with my family. I am also a big foodie, so I love to go to different restaurants and try food from different cultures. Another one of my passions outside the lab is organizing and participating in outreach initiatives targeted at underrepresented students in STEM, because it helps me recharge my energy after a long time of experiments at the lab. Doing outreach always reminds me of the importance of role models and mentorship in academia. Whether we realize it or not, having a mentor that looks like you can be very powerful and influential because it helps us imagine ourselves as successful scientists. And I want to be a positive role model for the next generation of scientists.
Do you have a website where our readers can view your recent research and follow your career? Or want to share professional social media handles?
Yes! I have a LinkedIn page (https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitneystevenssostre/) and Twitter (@StevensSostre). I also manage the “Black In Biophysics” Twitter account (@BlackInBiophys).