Dr. Åsa Gustafsson

Professor

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Biography

Dr. Åsa Gustafsson is a Professor at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, with a focus on understanding molecular pathways that regulate life and death in cardiac myocytes. Her research aims to comprehend how intrinsic alterations due to aging in cardiac myocytes contribute to cardiovascular disease, particularly via the decline in mitochondrial function, which is a key factor in the increased susceptibility to these diseases. Dr. Gustafsson employs a variety of approaches including genetic, cell, and molecular biology techniques, as well as mouse models and advanced 2D/3D imaging methods, to study the signaling pathways that regulate mitochondrial structure, function, and turnover in heart cells. She has made significant contributions to the field, including the identification of mechanisms by which dysfunctional mitochondria are removed from cells and the investigation of BCL-2 family proteins in mitochondrial regulation. Her academic background includes a B.S. in Molecular Biology and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from UCSD, along with a postdoctoral fellowship at the Scripps Research Institute. She has received numerous awards for her work, including being elected as a Fellow of the International Society for Heart Research and the American Heart Association, underlining her status in the research community.

Research Interests

Awards

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Elected Fellow

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Outstanding Investigator Award

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Established Investigator Award

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Elected Fellow

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Memorial Award

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Outstanding Early-Career Investigator Award Finalist

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Scientist Development Grant

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Young Investigator Award Winner

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New Investigator Award

Requirements for University of California, San Diego

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:85
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Duolingo
Overall Score
Required:120
Overall
Required:120
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in physical, biological, or earth sciences, mathematics, or engineering. Differential and integral calculus. One year of calculus-based physics with laboratory. One year of chemistry with laboratory.
Application Checklist
  • Statement of Purpose (max 2 pages)
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Application fee ($135 domestic / $155 international)
Specialization Notes

Administered by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Curricular groups include Climate-Ocean-Atmosphere (COAP), Geosciences (GEO), and Ocean Biosciences (OBP).