Erik sandoval

Erik is a PhD student in the Molecular, Cellular, & Integrative Physiology IDP Program. He graduated from Vanguard University with a B.S. in Exercise Science, and Cal State Fullerton with a M.S. in Exercise Physiology. His undergraduate and master’s research focused on the cell and molecular responses to anerobic and aerobic exercise in the heart and skeletal muscle. Prior to UCLA, Erik spent several years at Cytokinetics, a biopharmaceutical company, where he focused on pre-clinical small-molecule drug development to combat cardiovascular disease. His research in the Vondriska lab is focused on modeling heart failure in iPSC-derived engineered heart tissues (EHTs) and investigating the role of linker histone H1.0 in cardiac fibrosis. In his free time, Erik enjoys cooking, wine tasting, and video games.