Ashley Soucy
Education
- B.S. Biochemistry, University of Maine, 2018
Biosketch
As an undergraduate at The University of Maine, I worked four years as an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Maginnis’s laboratory. While there, I utilized cell culture and fluorescent microscopy techniques to examine the role of viral-host cell interactions in mediating the JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) infection in humans. The time I spent in Dr. Maginnis’s lab sparked my love for research and my desire to purse a graduate degree.
In 2019, I committed to completing my dissertation project under the mentorship of Dr. Lucy Liaw at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute. The primary focus of the Liaw lab is understanding the cellular signaling and driving mechanism of obesity related cardiovascular disease.
When not in the lab, I enjoy spending my time hiking, reading, and skiing.
Dissertation Project
I study how perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT), a depot of adipose tissue that surrounds the vasculature of both humans and mice, contributes to cardiovascular disease during diet-induced obesity. While recent studies have suggested a role for PVAT in regulating cardiovascular disease, much work is needed to define the mechanism behind the tissue’s role in disease progression. I am particularly interested in how adipose-derived exosomes are utilized to mediate organ-organ communication and promote cardiovascular disease.
Dissertation Mentor
