Kristen Segars

My long-term research interests involve uncovering the signaling mechanisms involved in corneal wound healing, and discovering how these mechanisms go awry in diabetes. I use a combination of imaging, cell culture, and ex vivo organ culture to elucidate the connections between purinergic receptors, pannexin channels, calcium mobilization, and actin cytoskeleton rearrangements in the context of corneal wound healing, with an emphasis on aberrations in this pathway that prevent effective wound healing in the diabetic cornea.

My passion for research and medicine both began during my undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I began my research career studying enzyme kinetics, drug metabolism, and the gut microbiome in the lab of Dr. Redinbo. At the same time, I had the opportunity to gain hands-on clinical experience at UNC hospitals. These experiences led me to pursue a career as a research physician. After graduation, I received an Intramural Research Training Award and accepted a position in the lab of Dr. Williams at the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences. In this role I studied DNA strand break repair proteins using column chromatography, crystallography, and x-ray diffraction. I had the opportunity to present my research at the NIEHS Annual Retreat and attend the Frontiers of Mammalian DNA Repair Gordon Research Conference. Following this year I enrolled in the MD/PhD program at Boston University School of Medicine. I have completed the first two years of medical school and have taken the USMLE Step 1 exam. I’m looking forward to the next phase of my education in the lab of Dr. Trinkaus-Randall studying cell signaling in the context of corneal wound healing.