I chose the Pitt/CMU MSTP because of its strong culture of collaboration and the genuine approachability of its students. During my visit, I was struck by how students across all stages of training actively support one another and readily collaborate, creating an environment that is both intellectually stimulating and highly collegial.
I was also drawn to Pittsburgh itself. Although I was raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, my family is originally from the greater Pittsburgh area. Returning to Pittsburgh for my training has therefore been especially meaningful and represents a full-circle moment for me.
Outside of class, I love botany, especially studying ferns or pteridology. I enjoy kayaking, hiking, collecting insects, and photographing the night sky. I am an active member of the Medical Student Pride Alliance (MSPA) on campus and nationally and I am the director of Marketing and Design for MSPA nationally: https://www.medpride.org/meet-marketing-design
- Dickinson College, BS in Biology
Education & Training
Drda, J.C., Smith, J.P. Endogenous Alcohol and Auto-Brewery Syndrome Complicating Liver Transplantation: A Case Report and Literature Review. Livers 2025, 5, 13. https://doi.org/10.3390/livers5010013
My research focuses on immunometabolism, with a particular emphasis on cholesterol and lipoprotein metabolism. I investigate the physiological differences between intracellular cholesterol synthesized endogenously through the mevalonate pathway and dietary cholesterol absorbed in the intestine. Although cholesterol itself is chemically identical, the biology of these two pools differs substantially. Dietary cholesterol is unique in that it is absorbed by the intestinal epithelium and packaged into chylomicrons, which enter the lymphatic system rather than the portal circulation, unlike carbohydrates and proteins. As a result, these lipid-rich particles traffic through lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes, where they interact directly with immune cells. My work seeks to understand how immune cells sense and utilize lipids carried by chylomicrons and how distinct lipid profiles shape immune signaling and inflammatory diseases.
Clinically, I study genetic disorders of cholesterol and bile acid metabolism, including Smith–Lemli–Opitz syndrome (SLOS) and cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX). In particular, I investigate cholesterol metabolites in rare autoinflammatory disorders affecting the mevalonate pathway, such as mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD) and the recently described phosphomevalonate kinase deficiency (PMKD). By studying these inborn errors of cholesterol metabolism, I seek to understand how dysregulation of these metabolic pathways contributes to the activation of innate immunity.