Giovanna Pozuelos graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. As an undergrad she conducted research in Dr. Thomas Cesario’s laboratory where she tested the efficacy and safety of a Cascade Iodination System to inactivate bacteria and viruses in plasma. Upon graduation she began a post-baccalaureate Biotechnology certificate program at Cal State Long Beach where she was also selected for the Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) Stem Cell Research Biotechnology Training Program. As a CIRM intern, she conducted research under Dr.WenYong Chen at City of Hope research Hospital studying hematopoietic cell line, KCL22 and tested if resveratrol, a substance found in red wine known to have anti-cancer properties, can promote apoptosis in those cells that have acquired mutation against the chemotherapy drug, Imatinib, thereby preventing relapses. She continued her education by completing a Master of Science in Biology at the California State University, Los Angeles. As a fellow in the Minority Biomedical Research Support Program-Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement M.S. to Ph.D., she conducted research under the guidance of Dr. Edith Porter studying antimicrobial effector molecules of the innate host defense including antimicrobial lipids. She tested the hypothesis that Palate, Lung, Nasal Epithelium Clone associated protein, a highly hydrophobic protein that is abundant in the conducting airways, functions as a carrier protein for host derived antimicrobial lipids.
Currently she is graduate student in the Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology PhD program at the University of California, Riverside. As a PhD student, under the mentorship of Dr.Prue Talbot, she is studying the effects of thirdhand smoke chemicals on cells in vitro and will be required to utilize video bioinformatics to analyze morphological changes that occur when cells are treated with toxic chemicals.