Principal Investigator
Pearl is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology and the Principal Investigator of the Quijada Lab, which studies cell- and molecular-mechanism-based mechanisms that control cardiovascular development and cardiac remodeling in response to ischemic and hypertrophic disease. When not in the lab, Pearl enjoys running and enjoying time with my family at the beach or museums around LA.
SDSU/UCSD, PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology; SDSU, MS Physiology; UCR, BS Biology
Current Member
Graduate students
More about Julie
Julie is a current Ph.D. candidate in Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology whose work focuses on the role of Slit2 in cardiac fibroblasts during cardiac development and disease.
Outside of lab, She loves running, beach volleyball, reality TV, and trying
new coffee shops!
Julie is also a recipient of Competitive Edge Fellowship; UCLA Graduate Divison (2023)
T32 Muscle Cell Biology, Pathogenesis, and Therapeutics Training Program (June 2025 – Dec 2025)
American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship
(Jan 2026-Dec 2027)
More about Juliet
Juliet is a current PhD student in Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology. Her research focuses on the role of Slit2-Robo signaling in cardiac fibroblasts during cardiac development and disease. Outside of lab, Juliet loves coffee crawls, horror movies, exploring museums, and puppy yoga.
More about Jingyan
Jingyan (Jing) is a current PhD student who is interested in applying integrative genomics and multi-omics approaches to decode the molecular basis of cardiovascular disease. Outside the lab, you’ll likely find Jingyan exploring plant nurseries or cuddling with her cats.
Lab Alumni
Recent graduates
Dr. David Wong
David Wong graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with a Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology. Currently, he is in his 2nd year of the MCIP PhD program. His project in the Quijada lab focuses on investigating the role of pericytes during pathological remodeling of the heart following myocardial infarction. In his free time, David enjoys cooking, powerlifting, backpacking, and playing basketball.
Kevin Shih
Kevin graduated with his Bachelors in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at UCLA and is now studying the roles that pericytes play during a myocardial infarction. In his free time, Kevin likes hiking, photography, and spending time with his friends.
Julie Martinez
Undegraduate Students
Matthew Tran
Matthew is from San Jose, CA. Besides research, Matthew enjoys playing tennis, teaching, and volunteering.
Amy Lefley
After undergrad, I hope to work in healthcare as either a physician assistant or doctor. In my free time I like to go on runs, get coffee at fun cafes, or hangout with my friends!
Jessica Tsui
Jessica is currently a 3rd year undergraduate student at UCLA. She is interested in research and medicine, specifically in the field of cardiology. Through research in the Quijada lab, she aims to learn more about mechanisms of heart repair after ischemic injury and gain experience in clinical research. She hopes to apply the knowledge and experience gained from research in her future career in medicine. In her free time, Jessica enjoys watching movies, trying new foods and desserts, and spending time with family and friends.
