Dr. Valdez-Jasso studies pulmonary hypertension – high blood pressure of the lungs, which is only diagnosed by observing the damage it has already caused to the heart and whose only “cure” is a lung transplant. Her work focuses on identifying markers for diagnosis before it’s too late, understanding how the disease progresses, and identifying opportunities for developing new drugs to treat the disease.
“I think it’s important to break the stereotype of what people think about scientists, mathematicians, and professors, and invite more people to feel welcome and comfortable in the field. I am especially interested in finding ways to bring more San Diegans into our classrooms and to inspire more Hispanics to seek a career in engineering.”
- Dr. Daniela Valdez-Jasso
Dr. Daniela Valdez-Jasso, Bridging Cultures and Disciplines to Combat a Hidden Form of Hypertension
If people think that scientists are boring, they haven’t met Dr. Daniela Valdez-Jasso. In fact, Dr. Valdez-Jasso, who is Associate Professor of Bioengineering at the University of California-San Diego, might be one of the warmest, most enthusiastic people from any profession that you’re likely to meet. A true extrovert, she is able to connect in nearly half a dozen languages and she draws on her journey from mathematics to biology to bioengineering to look at problems from many perspectives.
Dr. Valdez-Jasso was recently awarded a $500,000 Prebys Research Heroes grant, part of a $10 million two-year initiative that celebrates the contributions female scientists make in the field of biomedical and medical research, and honors outstanding San Diego scientists as a key lever to create a more innovative, equitable, and collaborative medical research system.
Dr. Valdez-Jasso’s research focuses on pulmonary arterial hypertension, or high blood pressure of the arteries of the lung, and particularly its disproportionate impact on women and populations that have been underserved by the health system. Unlike the kind of high blood pressure that can be measured using a simple device, this disease is particularly difficult to diagnose before it becomes life-threatening. There isn’t good information about how the disease progresses, but once identified, the prognosis is dire. “We don’t have a solution for patients,” says Valdez-Jasso. “A lot of people can live a normal life with high blood pressure, as long as maintain their medication. By contrast, the only meaningful approach to pulmonary arterial hypertension is a lung transplant, or in some cases, a heart-lung transplant.”
Dr. Valdez-Jasso and her team study how lung blood pressure disease occurs and worsens, aiming to find new ways to detect and treat it. They focus on finding indicators of the disease, exploring potential new treatments, and learning how the disease progresses.
Dr. Valdez-Jasso’s academic journey reflects a deep interdisciplinary spirit. She started her career in math, moved to cardiology, and eventually found a home in bio-engineering. “It was a field where everybody was welcome,” she explains. Dr. Valdez-Jasso knows what it feels like to explore new things. As the child of a Mexican diplomat, F=first spoke fluently in Portuguese, learned English at a Pakistani school that used the British system in China, and learned to read and write Spanish in Chile. She understands Mandarin and “almost” dreams in French.
This array of experiences, not to mention linguistic multi-tasking, allows her to relate to her multinational students and has inspired her to make sure that her lab is diverse, inclusive, and fun. As a woman who has had to navigate the traditionally male-dominated fields of math and engineering, Dr. Valdez-Jasso understands the need to make people feel welcome. She has worked to recruit more women into her department, and she works hard to promote a collegial atmosphere, hosting happy hours and a variety of non-science events.
She acknowledges that her outgoing personality might seem at odds with the stereotype of a scientist. It’s been working – she has been told that her efforts to create a warm environment has helped with recruitment and has attracted more women to the program and department.
As she considers the future of her research, Dr. Valdez-Jasso focuses on seeking scientific breakthroughs that produce meaningful benefits for patients, offering real hope that pulmonary arterial hypertension can be diagnosed early and treated effectively. She embodies the ethos of a modern scientist – one who is the product of rich personal experiences, diverse academic pursuits, and has a nuanced understanding of how to teach and motivate her students.
“I think it’s important to break the stereotype of what people think about scientists, mathematicians, and professors, and invite more people to feel welcome and comfortable in the field,” she says. “I am especially interested in finding ways to bring more San Diegans into our classrooms and to inspire more Hispanics to seek a career in engineering.”