Danielle Nicole Miranda
Danielle N. Miranda grew up in the small town of Alamogordo, N.M. She stayed close to home for college, attending New Mexico State University and earning a Bachelor of Science degree. She also had double minors in biochemistry and molecular biology.
As an experienced research assistant and intern, Danielle decided to take the next step in her research career by pursuing a doctorate in clinical and translational science. She's always been interested in clinical care, as well as understanding the basic mechanisms that cause complications and diseases.
Why Mayo Clinic?
Danielle says she chose Mayo Clinic Center for Translational Science Activities (CTSA) because it uniquely bridges the gap between basic and clinical research. She was also intrigued by the opportunity to work with Anthony J. Windebank, M.D., director of the CTSA's predoctoral programs and an experienced clinical investigator at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Another point of attraction was the program's rotation component in which new Ph.D. students rotate through different investigators' laboratories and are exposed to basic science, patient-oriented research and epidemiology.
Having started the program in 2009, Danielle says that one of the best things about it is that "all of the faculty are willing to help you accomplish your goals and mentor you along the way." She also says she appreciates Mayo's commitment to developing young scientists and future leaders of biomedical research, the professional environment, and the many opportunities to network with leaders in the scientific field.
Multidisciplinary research
Danielle chose Lawrence J. Mandarino, Ph.D., as her primary mentor and is developing her research in his laboratory at Mayo Clinic's campus in Arizona. Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University (ASU) are collaborating to investigate metabolic syndrome — a cluster of medical factors that includes increased blood pressure, elevated insulin levels, excess body fat and abnormal cholesterol levels — which can lead to heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
As Dr. Mandarino's laboratory includes staff from Mayo Clinic and ASU with expertise in basic biology, mass spectrometry, clinical research studies, community interventions, public policy and returning research results to the community, Danielle is able to participate in many different aspects of research. She also uses Mayo's Mouse Phenotyping Core in Arizona, where a genetically engineered mouse can undergo hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamping to assess insulin action in vivo.
"If we're to understand the causes and consequences of type 2 diabetes, it's necessary to understand underlying mechanisms and to translate our knowledge into action in the community to prevent the disease," she says.
Into the community
Understanding the basic mechanisms underlying insulin resistance and diabetes will aid in the development of new diagnostics and therapies, but many cases of type 2 diabetes can be prevented by lifestyle changes. So, it's critical to understand how the environment fosters insulin resistance and how it can be changed to prevent the development of diabetes.
Danielle has been able to put CTSA resources, such as REDCap, to use in the Maricopa Diabetes Registry Project. She and her fellow researchers are looking at the prevalence of and risk factors for type 2 diabetes in the Latino population in Maricopa County, Ariz. After being screened, people are referred to health care providers if needed or invited to participate in an intervention. Those in the intervention group have their gene expression changes tracked before and after the intervention.
Participating in educational interventions in the community, interacting with research participants in the CTSA Clinical Research Unit and conducting laboratory research give Danielle a broad understanding of clinical and translational science. She is gaining experience within an interdisciplinary team that will further prepare her for an independent research career.
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