About Me
Growing up, children incessantly ask, “why?”. Instead of growing up, Deirdre decided to pursue a career where no one ever gets tired of that question. Her science journey began at Idaho State University, where she earned her B.S. in Biochemistry, and continues here at the University of Utah where she pursues her Ph.D. in Biochemistry with the Shen lab. In the Shen lab she uses cryo-EM to understand how Cdc48, a critical component of protein homeostasis, is regulated by its binding partner Otu1. When she hangs up the lab coat for the day she can also be found drawing, cooking, reading, or craving her grandma’s Navajo tacos.