ADITYA TYAGI
The Hale Lab
Overview
In the summer of 2025, I was honored to be selected as a KEYS Intern, a prestigious summer research internship program, and accepted into the Hale Lab at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix. After a competitive selection process, I dove deep into bench-top wet lab work, gaining hands-on experience that greatly expanded my technical skills. Under the mentorship of Dr. Hale, and Dr. Jorgenson my project focused on investigating how Angiotensin II (Ang II), a hormone crucial to blood pressure regulation, influences cardiac inflammation at both molecular and cellular levels. Using in vivo models of spontaneously hypertensive rats and in vitro studies with cultured Rat2 fibroblast cells, I examined Ang II’s effects on inflammatory markers such as NOX-2 and IL-6, as well as macrophage infiltration. This research aims to better understand how chronic hypertension contributes to heart damage through inflammation and to identify potential therapeutic targets.
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Lab Skills
During this internship, I developed proficiency in a wide range of lab techniques, including DNA extraction, Western blotting, Sirius Red staining, flow cytometry, protein assays, ELISA, cryosectioning, immunohistochemistry, and advanced fluorescence microscopy
Personal Importance of the work
This experience not only sharpened my technical skills but also gave me a deeper understanding of how cardiovascular disease develops. Working closely with my Principal Investigator and Research Mentor, I gained important insights into the complex relationship between hormones and inflammation in heart health. Being so involved in this hands-on research solidified my passion for medical science and strengthened my commitment to pursue this kind of meaningful research throughout my life.
This is the poster I presented at the KEYS Slam Research Showcase at the University of Arizona - Tucson in July 2025 after the culmination of the Research Internship