Alexandra Walz

Academic Status:

Senior Biology major, chemistry minor, on the pre-health track

Research Focus:

Analysis of differential methylation profiles between obese and control groups

My name is Alexandra Walz and I am a senior at the University of Tampa. I am majoring in Biology and minoring in Chemistry. I am on the pre-health track and plan to attend dental school upon graduation. Outside of my research I work as an Organic Chemistry II Lab Mentor here at UT. I act as team lead on the zebrafish project where we collectively aim to discover how an induced state of obesity in a model organism affects molecular and biochemical function. My personal focus within this project involves the analysis of differential methylation profiles between obese and control groups. Alongside Dr. Dobrinski I am measuring how changes in epigenetic status due to obesity affects gene expression and subsequent biological function. I have had the privilege of presenting my research regionally at the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference and hope to present nationally at the American Society of Human Genetics this upcoming semester.