Hi! My name is Metzli, and I graduated with a B.S in Applied Physics with an emphasis in Chemistry and a minor in Professional Writing from UC Davis in 2022. Now, I am a graduate student here at UC Merced co-advised by Kara McCloskey and Roberto Andresen Eguiluz. This project is also in collaboration with the Ryan Baxter group here at UCM.
My work is centered around investigating how cannabidiol (CBD) and CBD analog (chemicals structurally similar to CBD) treatment can induce vascular dysfunction in young and aged vascular tissues. We are really interested in CBD because many CBD consumers, many being older (65+) individuals, already self-prescribe and use over-the-counter CBD products for stress relief, pain management, and as an anti-inflammatory drug. However, whether CBD or other analogs actually produce these side effects is still being investigated. Additionally, we need more aged models, since as our tissue microenvironment changes as we age. Our lab is specifically interested in vasculature because blood vessels exist in all tissues and are necessary for processes such as nutrient delivery, drug delivery, and wound healing. In the lab, we can use various in vitro 2D and 3D models to understand how CBD and CBD analogs can impacts vascular function within a young and aged model tissue.
