Yan Carlos Pacheco

Lab: Dr. Kyle Allen

Hometown: Havana, Cuba

Research focus: My research direction over the past 4 years under Dr. Kyle Allen have focused upon various aspects of osteoarthritis. Areas of specific interest to me have included histological processing and analysis of rodent knees along with the role of Piezo-1 in osteoarthritis disease progression.

Fun fact: I once hung and wired a whole chandelier that I thrifted because lamps are basic.

What motivates you? Knowing that I am paving a road that others, like me, did not know could be walked on. I want to climb the proverbial latter to build an elevator for those after me.

What attracted you to UF BME? The sense of community that is abundant throughout the department. I thoroughly felt like I was much than just a student getting a degree.

What I love about Gainesville: The fact that it is home to some of my closest friends and has provided so many opportunities for exploring new hobbies and figuring out who I am.

Motivational Quote: A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.

Honors and Awards:

• NSF Graduate Research Fellow
• Undergraduate Student Excellence Award
• MARC GatorStar Fellow
• University Scholars Program
• SF2UF Bridge to Baccalaureate Fellow