Carla Carvalho-DeGraff is a versatile scholar in the field of genetics and genomics. She currently serves as an assistant professor at Pennsylvania State University, where she leads her own research team. After completing her undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, she received a Ph.D. in Genetics from Iowa State University. In the following years, she held several postdoctoral positions at institutions such as the University of Georgia and the University of Utah. Her research focuses on the genetics and epigenetics of complex traits and diseases. Specifically, she investigates how gene regulation impacts the development of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases using human and animal models. Carla is active in the scientific community, having served as an editor for several academic journals and on numerous committees. Additionally, she serves as a mentor to undergraduate and graduate students in the sciences.