Sharmarke

Sharmarke
John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science
Boston, MA

Mentors:
Harshit Bhasin & Yasmine Guedira
Cardiovascular Disease Initiative | Ellinor Lab
 

Sharmarke wanted to be a part of BSSP for one simple reason. He wanted to “better understand the application of science in the real world.” At the Broad, he was tasked with understanding the molecular pathways contributing to cardiac fibrosis, a type of tissue scarring commonly observed in end-stage heart failure patients. Cardiac fibroblasts deposit extracellular matrix in the heart, providing structural support to the contracting myocardial tissue. The TGFβ signaling pathway is a known activator of cardiac fibroblasts. By exploring a target identified from prior sequencing projects conducted by the Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Sharmarke and his partner Dillon tested whether the SEMA3C protein worked alongside the TGFβ pathway to activate cardiac fibroblasts. By measuring the increase in gene expression and protein levels of the extracellular matrix proteins αSMA and COL1A1, Sharmarke determined that SEMA3C does not contribute to cardiac fibrosis in the in vitro environment. Their results did not suggest an interaction between TGFβ1 and SEMA3C since the downstream signaling molecules remained unchanged post SEMA3C treatment. Sharmarke’s BSSP goals were met. In his words “BSSP taught me the immense joy of discovery, the power of collaboration, and the importance of resilience.”