معرفی
Carissa Lynn Olsen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). She holds a B.A. from Cornell University (2005) and a Ph.D. from the University of Washington (2011). She completed a Hutchinson Fellowship at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (2011–2016) before joining WPI as the Leonard P. Kinnicutt Assistant Professor in 2017, transitioning to her current rank in 2020.
Her research focuses on understanding lipid dynamics and membrane maintenance in C. elegans, utilizing stable isotope tracing and mass spectrometry. Key areas include phospholipid composition regulation, membrane fluidity, and aging-related lipid changes. Projects explore how membrane turnover pathways respond to stress, aging, and metabolic challenges.
Her scholarly work spans biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics, with publications in Nature Communications, Journal of Biological Chemistry, and Cell Metabolism. She has advised graduate students such as Andre Vieira and Mark Xatse, and mentors undergraduates through MQP projects.
Her lab’s work has been supported by grants, including a $421K award for studying aging through lipid research. She maintains an active lab with ongoing projects on membrane composition in young vs. old animals and lipid repair pathways under oxidative stress.
