Projects: 

•In situ Analysis of Functional Endocrine, Vascular, and Immune Cell Interactions During
Early Postnatal Development of the Human Pancreas

•High-Resolution Analysis of Juvenile Human Pancreas Maturation

•Integrated Program for Human Pancreas Analysis

•Molecular Mechanisms of Physiologic Beta Cell Growth in Juvenile Human Pancreas

►Where are you from originally, and where did you go to school?

I am originally from Martin, Slovakia (former Czechoslovakia). I recieved my PhD from the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava.

►What is your current position?

Research Associate Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN
Director, Islet Procurement and Analysis Core, Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center
Director, Human Islet Phenotyping Program of IIDP

►Why did you decide to become a researcher?

Curiosity 

►What is the “Big Picture” of what you study?

 My research focuses on the biology of pancreatic islets and pancreas and islet development, especially the
development of pancreatic islet vasculature and innervation and their role in regulation of pancreatic islet function.
My research also seeks to understand the regulation of islet cell gene expression to provide insight into processes
controlling normal pancreatic beta cell function. I have an expertise in studies on the human pancreas and islets and
integrating these with findings in rodent models of islet biology.

►What is your favorite aspect of your research?

Excitement of setting up a new experiment

► What do you hope to achieve with your research?

Improve the quality of human life