Darian Carroll

Darian is originally from Spartanburg, SC, where she developed her passion for science by watching her mom work hard as a registered nurse. In pursuit of her passion, Darian obtained her B.S. in Biochemistry with a minor in Genetics from Clemson University in 2018. While at Clemson, Darian investigated the effectiveness of small molecule inhibitors against glucose metabolism in the parasites that cause malaria. Next, Darian participated in a post-baccalaureate program at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she investigated the interaction between hematopoietic stem cell derived fibroblasts and breast cancer progression in the context of obesity. In 2024, Darian received her PhD in Molecular Physiology and Biophysics at Vanderbilt University after examining the effect of maternal diet and metformin intake during pregnancy on offspring physiology. As a post-doctoral research fellow in the Byndloss lab, she now studies interactions between the gut microbiome and the intestinal epithelium in early life and the significance of these interactions on host physiology with age. In her free time, Darian enjoys crafting and cuddling with her chihuahua, Bryce.