Nikki Kirby
My path to biomedical research began in high school when I took my first psychology course. I wanted to go deeper than psychology and understand the biological processes occurring in the brain, which led me to pursue degrees in Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Oklahoma. After graduating, I had the amazing opportunity to work with spatial transcriptomic technology at OMRF, where we explored the molecular mechanisms of vascular dysfunction in sickle cell disease. I will continue my PhD studies at OMRF, where I hope to study neurodevelopment and the neurovascular unit through the lens of a mouse model of sickle cell disease. When I’m not in the lab, I enjoy cooking, exploring Oklahoma City, and spending time with my pets, Lexie and Maya.