EDUCATION

• 2013: B.S.,Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University; East Lansing, MI.

RESEARCH TRAINING

• 2023-Present: Research Assistant II, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University
  • Lab technician in the Tykocki Lab, Lab Manager in the Jackson Lab.
  • Designed and organized experiments; analyzed and interpreted complex datasets.
  • Managed and mentored graduate and undergraduate students, facilitating successful project completion.
  • Spearheaded lab operations, ensuring efficiency and compliance with safety standards.
  • Managed the 2-photon/confocal microscope core, scheduled imaging sessions, and optimized imaging protocols.
  • Trained staff and students in microscopy techniques..
• 2017-2023: Research Assistant II, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University
  • Cardiovascular PVAT, antibody optimization, knock out confirmation, hypertension, obesity
    • Watts Lab
    • Refined data collection protocols to enhance precision and accuracy.
    • Prepared presentations and visual data representations for lab meetings and conferences.
    • Assisted with the PVAT PPG.
• 2013-2017: Research Assistant I, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University
  • Cardiovascular PVAT, reproductive organs, hypertension, obesity
    • Watts Lab
    • Planned and executed various research techniques, while mentoring undergraduate students.
• 2009-2013: Undergraduate Student Research Assistant, Watts Lab, Michigan State University
  • Led independent research projects, presented findings at conferences and lab meetings.

PRESENTATIONS

• Marlene E. Masino, Emma Flood, Bhanuteja Madhu, Osvaldo J. Vega Rodríguez, Nathan R. Tykocki: Transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 channel mRNA is expressed throughout the mouse urinary bladder, poster presentation at Collaborating for the Advancement of Interdisciplinary Research in Benign Urology meeting 2024 (Milwaukee, WI) 
• Emma Flood, Brothely Jones, William Jackson, and Nathan Tykocki: Compound 48/80 causes overactive bladder without altering urothelial permeability in mice, poster presentation at American Physiology Summit, J. Physiology 2024 39:S1 (Long Beach, CA). 
• Rendon CJ, Ragsdale C, Flood ED, Watts SW and Contreras GA:  Adipocyte progenitor distribution in perivascular adipose tissues: effect of sex, site, age and spatial location, poster presentation at Keystone Adipose meeting J3 2023 (Keystone, CO). 
• Wabel E, Orr A, Flood ED, Mullick AE and Watts SW: Vascular intimas synthesize chemerin with possible contractile consequence, poster presentation at Keystone Adipose meeting J3 2023 (Keystone, CO). 
• McClintock D, Darios E, Watts SW, Jackson W, Roccabianca: Assessing tissue composition of the thoracic aorta wall and the perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) surround it, poster presentation at Keystone Adipose meeting J3 2023 (Keystone, CO). 
• Rendon CJ, Flood ED, Watts SW, Contreras GA: Adipocyte progenitor cells in perivascular adipose tissues: the effect of sex and anatomical location. accepted for Presentation at Council on Hypertension 2022 (San Diego, CA) 
• Wilson CS, Flood ED,  Watts SW: DDR and beta-1 integrin are partners with collagen in mediating stress-relaxation in aPVAT, accepted for Presentation at Council on Hypertension 2022 (San Diego, CA) 
• Tragge W, Flood E, Lisabeth E, Schulz S, Watts SW Development of a Specific 5-HT₇ Receptor Antibody: Is This Even Possible? FASEB J. 2022 May;36 Suppl 1. doi: 10.1096/fasebj.2022.36.S1.L7721. PMID: 35555134  
• Rendon CJ, Flood ED, Thompson J, Chirivi M, Watts SW and Contreras GA:  Chemical and mechanical activation of the mechanosensor Piezo1 alters adipogenesis in PVAT preadipocytes.  Council on Hypertension 2021 – poster session. 
• Roccabianca S, Tuttle T, Flood E and Watts SW: The impact of perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) on arterial stiffness.  Council on Hypertension 2021 –poster session. 
• Rendon CJ, Flood ED, Watts SW, Contreras GA, Thompson, J.  PIEZO1 activation inhibits adipogenesis and lipogenesis in PVAT preadipcotyes.  Council on Hypertension 2020 – VIRTUAL 
• Council on Hypertension 2019 New Orleans 
• Miron T, Flood ED, Negron M, Thompson J and Watts SW:  Identifiation of Piezo1 channels in perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) and their potential role in vascular function. Council on Hypertension 2020 – VIRTUAL 
• Roccabianca S, Flood E, Garver H, Fink GD and Watts SW: Perivascular adipose tissue assists arterial stress relaxation: loss of assistance in obesity-associated hypertension.   
• Weber P, Flood E., Thompson J and Watts SW.  Is the elastin receptor complex a bridge between perivascular adipose tissue and the artery?  Council on Hypertension 2019 New Orleans.   
• Grobbel, M. R., Hollander, A., Dubay, A., Watts, S. W., Darios, E., Lee, L. C. and Roccabianca, C. Hypertension-induced changes in the mechanical behavior of the left ventricular wall, Summer biomedicas , Bioengineering and Biotransporter conference (SB3) 2019.    
• Ferland, D. J., Darios, E., Garver, H., Yeh, S., Mullick, A., Fink, G. D. and Watts, S. W.: Chemerin antisense oligonucleotide lowers blood pressure in a rat model of adiposity-associated hypertension, accepted as oral presentation and award winner, Council on Hypertension, Chicago, IL 2018.   
• Kumar RK, Darios ES, Burnett R, Watts SW.  Is PVAT-dependent fenfluramine-induced contraction also 5-HT dependent?  Accepted for presentation at Frontiers on Serotonin Keystone meeting, Park City UT, 2017.  
• Wabel E, Orr A, Flood ED, Mullick AE and Watts SW: Vascular intimas synthesize chemerin with possible contractile consequence, poster presentation at Keystone Adipose meeting J3 2023 (Keystone, CO). 
• Ferland D. J., Seitz, B., Darios, E. M., Thompson, J. M. Yeh, S. T.,Mullick, A. E., Watts, S W.: Liver acquitted, fat indicted: hepatic chemein knockdown does not reduce blood pressure while whole body knock down does. accepted for Council on Hypertension + ASH, 2017, San Francisco, 2017 
• Seitz, B. M., Orer, H. S., Krieger-Burke, T., Darios, E. M., Thompson, J. M. and Watts, S. W.: 5-HT causes venodilation to reduce blood pressure in rat, in press, J Vasc Res. , Mechanisms of Vasodilitation, Mayo, November 2016 (oral and poster) 
• Ferland, D. J., Darios, E. S., Neubig, R. R., Sjogren, B., Truong, N., Torres, R., Dexheimer, T. S., Thompson, J. M., and Watts, S. W.:  The novel perivascular adipose tissue adipokine, chemerin, signals through Gi and calcium-dependent mechanism, accepted for Council on Hypertension fall sessions, Sept 2016. 
• Darios, E and Watts, S. W.: Endogenous chemerin amplifies nerve-dependent arterial contraction. . Accepted to Council on Hypertension, 2015 
• Darios EM, Thompson, J, Wren, N., Torres R, Kelly, A., and Watts, S. W.: Chemerin activates procontractile pathways in isolated arteries.  Accepted to Council on Hypertension,  2015.   
• Young, LY, Darios EM and Watts S.W.: An in depth analysis:  SERT in Rat Brain, presented at Experimental Biology, Boston, MA  FASEB J 29:834.1, 2015.    
• Watts, S. W, Darios, E, Seitz BM, Burnett R, Thompson JM:  Serotonin relaxes the superior mesenteric vein: implications for blood pressure control. Council for High Blood pressure research, San Francisco, CA Hypertension 64:A515, 2014.  
• Darios ES and Watts SW: Contractile mechanisms in the cervix and uterus, Reproduc Sci 20((3 supplement): pg 172A, T-200. 2013. 

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Click here for a complete PDF version of Emma’s Curriculum Vitae

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