About
Mari Osman is an undergraduate researcher at UCLA in the Erbay Lab, where she studies the role of Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein (FMRP) in macrophage senescence and lysosomal dysfunction in the context of atherosclerosis and metabolic disease. Her work focuses on understanding how FMRP deficiency alters cellular stress and inflammatory pathways associated with aging.
Outside of research, Mari is passionate about serving underserved communities through mentorship and advocacy work with UCLA’s Academic Supports Program (ASP) and Campus Assaults Resources & Education (CARE) at UCLA. She also expanded her research experience through a summer internship in Kenya studying finger millet-based nutritional formulations aimed at improving food security and public health in semi-arid regions.
As a Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology major at UCLA, Mari hopes to pursue a future as a physician-scientist focused on health equity. In her free time, she enjoys reading and spending time at the beach