Ireti Eni-aganga received her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Arizona State University in 2014. She's currently a PhD candidate at Meharry Medical College in the laboratory of Dr. Jui Pandhare. Her work is part of the Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research (CAHDR).
Learn a bit about her research from Ireti herself!
"Kruppel-like Factor 6 Regulates Prolidase Transcription during Wound Healing"
When you were 5, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a Power Ranger because I wanted to help people and look cool doing it!
What was it about science that drew you to it?
All through high school, I knew I wanted pursue a science-based career so I chose a pre-med major when I went to college. My first research experience was in a lab that aimed to characterize the structural and dynamical properties of spider silk. Though I was scared of the spiders, the process grew a curiosity in my that led to my desire to understand why things are the way they are, especially in disease.
In a nutshell, what do you study?
Prolidase regulation and collagen metabolism during wound healing.
Why is your research important? What is its larger impact, and/or how do you foresee it impacting public health?
Prolidase plays an essential role in collagen turnover by catalyzing the rate-limiting step. Also, its expression and activity are essential for successful wound healing. Patients suffering from prolidase deficiency, diabetes, and skin disorders cannot heal properly, leading to chronic non-healing wounds. Chronic wound management is a significant cost to the healthcare system, costing approximately 10-20 billion dollars per year. Prolidase is poorly understudied, and a better understanding of prolidase expression and function can lead to the development of therapeutics to aid in healing.
What has been your biggest challenge as a scientist?
Wanting everything to be perfect. The aim shouldn't be perfection but rather, progress.
What's next for you?
Writing...lots of writing.
Best way to spend time while waiting on an experiment to finish:
Explaining in great detail the plotlines of Korean dramas and Anime to my labmates.
What are you looking forward to doing most, once the pandemic is under control, and life starts to return to a state of normalcy?
I look forward to being able to travel and see my family and friends.
Do you identify as an under represented minority? If so, which URM communities do you identify with?
BIPOC
What has been your biggest challenge being a URM in science/academia?
Finding a community that understands my life experiences that contribute to who I am as a person today.
Is there a resource that has been valuable to you in your journey?
Yale Ciencia Academy!
What advice would you give a graduate student who identifies with similar minority groups as you?
You are not alone. There are far more people going through what you are going through and they want to support you.
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