The individuals below are the people that make our laboratory rich.
They bring energy, ideas, amazing troubleshooting and fun to our science, every day.
JANICE THOMPSON
Janice earned her bachelor of science in biochemistry from Michigan State University and joined the Watts lab in 2002. She is currently a research assistant II, with over 25 years of experience as a scientist in both academia and industry. In addition to lab managerial responsibilities, she regularly performs protein extractions and quantitation, western analyses, and enzyme activity assays related to all of the projects currently being researched in the lab. She has been called both Queen of the Westerns and All Knowing of Where Everything and Anything Is/Has Been Located.
BETH LOCKWOOD
Beth joins the Watts Lab in July 2023. We welcome her to our group! She has a limitless spirit in MAKING THINGS WORK and unfraid to try new things.
Andres Contreras
Andres is an Associate Professor in the Large Animal Clinical Sciences Dept here at MSU in his own right. With us? He’s a Watts Lab member. Andres has been a long term partner in studying the adipocyte, and educating us continuously in working with this fascinating cell type.
Emma WAbel
Emma (Miss Emma) joined the Watts lab in 2022. She comes to us from Hope College. Emma is front and center in the chemerin project. She has brought confident use of RNAscope to the laboratory, and is focused on understanding from where the chemerin important to blood pressure comes . Her smile, her fearlessness and organization are amazing.
Christina Xenos
Christina joined the lab in fall of 2023. She recently graduated from Michigan State with a degree in neuroscience, Human Biology, and psychology on a pre health track. She has been working with Emma on her Chemerin project, with a focus on exploring the role of Chemerin in the adrenal glands. She's excited to continue working in the lab in order to uncover the mechanisms behind those funky little adrenal glands."
Victor Grabowski
Victor is a Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology major in his senior year. He joined the Watts lab in winter 2023 and his first project has been performing Immunofluorescence testing for Chemerin in the Mesenteric resistance artery. He is eager to learn and develop his skills in the lab as each project comes his way.
Elise Yoder
MSU PA, beginning Fal 2022. Elise has spent significant time perfecting measurement of microvascular density and triumphed in May of 2024! She’ll continue this work in the next years as she continues to work as a pre-med student at MSU.