44th Catalyst Symposium

Congratulations to Lilly Parras ’25 and Addison Wagner ’25 who completed their Catalyst projects and presented at the 44^th Catalyst Symposium.

 

Lilly Parras ’25 completed a Catalyst project investigating the role of PIP2 in cholesterol homeostasis under the mentorship of Dr. Kailash Gulshan at Cleveland State University. Her research focused on understanding how PIP2 influences ABCA1 activity, a key membrane transporter in the reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) pathway, which removes excess cholesterol from macrophages. By exploring PIP2’s impact, Lilly aimed to identify new strategies to enhance RCT efficiency and improve cholesterol clearance, contributing to advancements in cardiovascular health.