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          About NIAMS
          Katie Heitzman, B.S.





Katie Heitzman, B.S.


Postbaccalaureate Fellow
    Lupus Genomics and Global Health Disparities Unit Profile Image 
            Contact Information

                                
                                                9000 Rockville Pike
                  
            10 Center Drive
      
                  
            Building 10, Room 12S248
      
                                   Bethesda MD 20892
                
                                                katie.heitzman@nih.gov 
                Summary
          Katie Heitzman completed her biochemistry capstone in a plant biology lab, where she introduced a serotonin production pathway into *Arabidopsis thaliana*. The lab focuses on plant immunity, specifically how the *SR45* gene regulates plant immune responses. During her four years in the lab, she aided in experiments related to this work. Additionally, Katie spent a semester of her senior year developing and performing experiments to investigate how *SR45* regulates the salicylic acid pathway. Her initial work involved hemp, a subclass of *Cannabis sativa*. She developed a genotyping protocol and tissue culture protocols. In addition to her work in the plant biology lab, Katie was a member of a physical chemistry lab where she modeled different compounds and metal surfaces through theoretical calculations. These calculations help determine how compounds and surfaces will behave.

In keeping with her interest in health care, Katie became licensed as an EMT and worked in a leadership position for her college EMS organization. During her senior year, she worked as a cardiac monitor technician in an ICU. Together her experiences have heightened her interest in the care of complex patients. She plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. degree upon completing her training.
        
                  Research Statement
          
            Katie’s research focuses on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). She is currently working on pathway analysis of rare variants and uses*in vitro* techniques to examine their effects. This work may better establish the pathogenesis of SLE, particularly in pediatric patients. 

            Education
              
            **St. Bonaventure University**
B.S, Biochemistry and Chemistry (2022)             
                        Experience
              
            **Borer Research Fellow**
St. Bonaventure University (2020)

**Undergraduate Research Assistant, Zhang Lab**
St. Bonaventure University (2018-2022)

**Undergraduate Research Assistant, Simpson Lab**
St. Bonaventure University (2018-2019)


Last Updated: August 2022


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