Diego Chavez
Graduate Student - Ramachandran Lab
Professional Background
I was born in Lima, Peru and moved to the United States in 2001. I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Mathematics from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2016. I later received my Master of Science in Bioengineering with a focus in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering from the University of Kansas. After working in a pathology lab for a few years, I joined the IGPBS program in August 2023 and joined Dr. Ramachandran’s lab in May 2024.
Research
Overview
Acetaminophen (APAP) is a globally used analgesic and antipyretic drug, but its overdose is also the most common cause of acute liver failure (ALF) in the US. Overdose of APAP can cause severe liver injury despite the availability of an FDA approved antidote, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) which is limited by its short therapeutic window. Severe overdose of APAP results in hepatocyte necrosis, induction of hepatocyte senescence in a subpopulation and impaired liver recovery. My research focuses on this specific subpopulation of hepatocytes and their unique secretome of factors, such as CXCL14 after severe APAP overdose.