Derek Lemons Email & Phone Number

• Isolated and characterized factors that enhance iPSC-derived cardiomyocyte calcium handling kinetics using high-throughput/high-content calcium imaging assays.• Developed high-throughput assays to identify genes that improve cardiac function by reducing the negative effects of chronic hypoxia and high fat diet found in patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.• Utilized high-content imaging robotics and iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes to model Neutral Lipid Storage Disease with Myopathy (NLSDM) with a multiplexed assay to determine lipid droplet content, calcium kinetics, and contractile properties.

• Tested effects of paracrine signals from cardiac endothelium and lipid on maturation of cardiac myocytes.• Modeled obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with high fat and hypoxic treatment of cardiomyocytes and testing effects on physiology and adiposome accumulation.• Analyzed effects of genetic variation in resistance to Chronic Mountain Sickness (CMS) in amelioration of cardiomyocyte contractility loss during hypoxia through reduction of EDNR-B function.

Doctor Of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Biology, General

• Determined regulation of Hox gene expression by microRNAs utilizing genetics, embryology, and quantitative fluorescence microscopy.

Bachelor Of Science (B.S.), Biology/Biological Sciences, General