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Cesar Meza 200

Cesar Meza

Florida State University

Cesar Meza is a fourth year PhD candidate at Florida State University. He studies the effects of obesity on cardiometabolic disease risk, including poor regulation of glucose and fat metabolism impacts vascular health. Meza obtained undergraduate and master’s degrees in kinesiology from the University of Texas at El Paso.

APS Porter Physiology Development Fellowship is one of the Society’s flagship award programs, highlighting scientific excellence in researchers from underrepresented backgrounds. We asked our Porter Fellows to tell us about their research, the impact of the Fellowship and their advice to other underrepresented scientists. Here, Cesar Meza, one of our esteemed Porter Fellows, shares more about his research and words of wisdom.

Tell us about your research. What are current projects are you working on?

I work in the laboratory of Robert Hickner, PhD, at Florida State University. Our research investigates how exercise and nutrition impact blood flow and metabolism in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. I am working on a study that investigates how NADPH oxidase (NOX)- and mitochondrial-derived reactive oxygen species contribute to endothelial dysfunction in people with obesity. My dissertation project examines NOX as a regulator of lipolysis and how its role in fat metabolism impacts endothelial function. I am also beginning work on a study that compares the effectiveness of resistance versus endurance exercise training on lipolysis and blood glucose regulation in postmenopausal women with prediabetes.

What is your advice to young people from underrepresented backgrounds interested in getting into science?

Start building a network of mentors early on. You can call upon each mentor for specific expertise or advice as you progress through your career. Secondly, and more importantly, believe in yourself. Each path to becoming a scientist is unique, and you will one day become the scientist that the next generation looks up to.

What did the fellowship allow you to do outside of your research?

My fellowship served as a framework to gain professional experience both within and outside of the laboratory. During my term as a Porter Fellow, I gained experience as a mentor, completed a teaching skills training course and served as a grant reviewer. In addition, the Fellowship helped me network with scientists working in various disciplines, including with current and former Porter Fellows. These broad professional experiences enhanced my overall research training as I prepare for the next steps of my career.