Merle Gilbert

Merle Gilbert graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Washington. While in the department, Merle conducted research focused on the Dystrophin glycoprotein complex and the use of D. Melanogaster as a model organism to study muscular dystrophy. Upon graduation in 2004, Merle moved to the Diabetes Endocrinology Research Center at the University of Washington, where he contributed to studies on pancreatic beta cell metabolism and it's role both in glucose-stimulated insulin release and as a predictive tool in assessing pancreatic islet quality for transplantation into diabetic patients. Merle is currently studying the adrenergic regulation of calcium and sodium fluxes in cardiomyocytes and their role in excitation-contraction coupling.