Ms. Alicia Wong is a PhD candidate in the MCDB&G program. She joined the lab in late 2016 first as an undergraduate student and later as a Researcher I before beginning graduate school. Her PhD thesis focuses on the role of the nutrient-sensing enzyme O-GlcNAc Transferase (Ogt) in regulating pancreas development and the maintenance of pancreatic beta cell identity. Alicia is the 2023 recipient of the Steer Family Award in Diabetes research and is currently supported by the NIH T32 training grant, "Inclusive Excellence Training Program in Systems Biology of Cardiovascular Inflammation. She was previously supported by a T32 grant through GCD and was a UMN Stem Cell Institute Infuse Predoctoral Scholar. Outside of the lab, she enjoys making music, cooking, and spending time with her two rescue cats, Bravo and Meeah. December 2016-Present.
