Chelsea was raised in central New Jersey (where you can get good bagels), and attended undergrad at Haverford College (where you cannot get good bagels, but can get inspired to become a scientist). After spending a year in chemical industry post-grad, Chelsea quickly realized that she wanted to be in the biomedical research space. She transitioned to a research tech position at University of Pennsylvania in the lab of Dr. Charles Abrams, and studied platelet biology while she learned the fundamentals for biomedical research (and also how to tolerate other styles of bagels). After four years in the Abrams Lab, Chelsea transitioned to a PhD program at University of Pennsylvania. Chelsea completed her PhD in the lab of Dr. Zolt Arany, where she focused on VLDL-TG secretion in fatty liver disease. Chelsea is excited to now be working on gene therapy for cystic fibrosis in the Shah Lab, and can’t wait to learn more about airway physiology! Plus, Chelsea loves to organize, so she’s giddy to help set up the organizational bones of the Shah Lab.
In addition to the thrill of a color-coded bench and interesting science, Chelsea is passionate about good food (hence lamenting over the bagels), soccer, and running. When not in the lab, you’ll most likely find Chelsea exploring new playgrounds with her two tiny kiddos, Clara and Sebastian, and her husband Ben, her favorite people in the world.