Staff Spotlight: Diana Oguntala
Diversity and Representation in Science
Growing up in London, Diana Oguntala loved paging through an encyclopedia of animals and reading about each one’s superpowers.
“Birds are the descendants of flying dinosaurs, and not only can newts regenerate their tails, but they can live on both water and land,” said Ms. Oguntala, who currently works as a junior specialist in the laboratory of Jeffrey Olgin, MD, chief of the UCSF Division of Cardiology and Ernest Gallo-Kanu Chatterjee Distinguished Professor in Clinical Cardiology. “I’ve always had an obsession with and passion for animals, and learning about their novel capabilities.”
That early passion led her to earn a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology at the University of Manchester in England. As part of her undergraduate program, she spent a “year in industry” conducting research. Out of the different placement options, she chose to join the UCSF lab of Guo Huang, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Physiology and investigator at the Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI) and Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research. The Huang Lab focuses on organ regeneration and repair in different animal models.
“My dream was to study in the U.S., and this opportunity was phenomenal, because I’d always been fascinated with newts and their regenerative capabilities,” said Ms. Oguntala. “When I joined the lab in the middle of the pandemic, their lab had just published a paper that established the relationship between body temperature and regenerative capability. Their hypothesis was that in exchange for gaining the ability to regulate their body temperature, warm-blooded animals lost the ability to regenerate limbs and hearts.”
During her year working in the Huang Lab, Ms. Oguntala helped with research focusing on how the cardiomyocytes of hibernating and non-hibernating mammals responded to hypothermic conditions. In addition to the fascinating biology of this investigation, she and her colleagues had a very practical aim. “There is a huge need for donor hearts for transplantation, but explanted human hearts can only last for about four to six hours in static cold storage,” she said. “We were hoping to find factors or drugs already approved by the FDA that could help preserve donor hearts and prolong the viable preservation of donor hearts.”
Ms. Oguntala savored everything about her year in industry at UCSF. “Sometimes biology can be very abstract, but this was my first real project where I could see exactly what we were doing and the impact,” she said. “I learned so much about organ transplantation, and I loved how translational it was. In addition to falling in love with research, I fell in love with UCSF and San Francisco. Everything about this area is beautiful and inspiring. Everyone here is so kind and open. I would meet someone once, and they would invite me on a hike. I’d never been on a hike until I came to the Bay Area. UCSF is such a collaborative place, which fosters great growth and creativity.”
“Diana always has the eagerness to explore and learn,” said Dr. Huang. “With an outgoing and cheerful personality, she brought tremendous joy to the lab.”
Returning to UCSF
Upon returning to the University of Manchester, she used her UCSF research on hypothermia as the basis of her undergraduate thesis. She also worked in the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology with the inventor of a technology that uses zooarcheology mass spectrometry to date bone samples that are thousands of years old. “Whereas DNA is very finicky and not very resilient, my final year project looked at how we can use collagen, a very resilient protein that can remain in bones for thousands of years, to identify that samples of certain cow species were thousands of years old,” said Ms. Oguntala. “It was an incredible experience.”
Some of her other activities during her undergraduate years included working as a contact tracer for the UK National Health Service during the pandemic, tutoring students in science, and talking with inspectors, health care providers and patients – including prisoners and care home residents – to help ensure compliance with health care laws and regulations. Ms. Oguntala also volunteered with the Greater Manchester Nightline Foundation, which provides an anonymous listening service for students in the Manchester area, later joining the board and becoming head of finance to increase support for the service.
After attending a lecture in high school about female genital mutilation, she was inspired to complete a summer research internship at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, where she learned more about the physical and psychological impacts of female genital mutilation in ethnic minority communities. Ms. Oguntala also witnessed how patients’ access to free health care to address this condition made a difference in people’s lives. “That experience was life-changing,” she said. “It’s so important to advocate for women’s health and their rights.”
During her last year of college, she returned to San Francisco for a week to celebrate her birthday. She met up with her former lab supervisor and shared that she wanted to apply to graduate school, but didn’t feel quite ready. “He told me there was a lab in the same building that was hiring a junior specialist, and encouraged me to apply,” said Ms. Oguntala. “I’d never thought about being a research associate, but since I was in San Francisco for the week, I applied, interviewed, and got the position.” She spent the summer after graduation applying for her visa, and returned to UCSF in fall 2023 as a member of the Olgin Lab.
In her current role, one of her main responsibilities is managing animal model genotyping. “This job is great, because I get to meet our collaborators, see the grand picture, and learn about both biomedical and clinical research,” said Ms. Oguntala. “I get to meet with the researchers and listen to what genes they are studying. I like hearing about everyone’s projects…. It’s fascinating how intricate the genotyping is, and how one degree of difference can make a big difference in how the DNA is amplified. If the genotyping isn’t working, we can’t verify that a particular gene is involved [in the research findings]. For instance, we study cardiac arrhythmias, so we want to look at genes related to muscle contractility.”
In addition to her work in the lab, Ms. Oguntala appreciates learning from others in the group. “During my time so far at UCSF, I have learned firsthand what it takes to be a researcher – not only to formulate ideas, but also to be a critical reader of papers,” she said. “By working with such incredible scientists, I’m learning how to evaluate and optimize each component of research, and how to be a more independent thinker in research and science. I’m also learning how to troubleshoot things that go wrong. When you’re actually in the lab and something isn’t going the way it should, you have to understand what’s going on and how to fix it, which will make me a better candidate for grad school.”
“Diana has been a great addition to the lab,” said Dr. Olgin. “In addition to her scientific and technical skills, she brings a positive attitude, always willing to help and learn new things.”
The Importance of Role Models
Ms. Oguntala also relishes the diversity she has experienced at UCSF. “I’ve learned so much about so many different cultures through working with different people from all over the world,” she said. “At UCSF, there’s an effort to create an inclusive and collaborative environment. There’s such positive reinforcement of the skills that people bring to the table from wherever they are from, as they work together towards shared goals. It fosters such brilliance.”
For example, she had the opportunity to work with a student from China. “He talked about how, in his degree program, they had such a rigorous cell culture training program,” said Ms. Oguntala. “He had the best cell culture technique I’d ever seen. I learned so much from him, and to this day, I use that technique and pass it on. It helps my research, because it helps prevent contaminations and also fosters my growth. Had I never worked with someone who trained in biology in the Chinese educational system, I never would have learned that technique. Similarly, my supervisor taught me so much about the science behind my projects, and explained the complexities to me. In return, I helped correct his English grammar for his presentations. It was a great cultural exchange.”
That diversity also extends beyond science. “I got introduced to so much different food from around the world,” she said. “I’ve never had such good food in my life – every meal is insanely delicious! Burmese food is my favorite cuisine ever, and had I not been here, I may not have gotten to try it.”
In addition to sampling new cuisines, some of Ms. Oguntala’s other interests include reading historical romance novels, traveling, listening to music, and exploring San Francisco’s varied neighborhoods.
Her future plans include eventually earning her PhD and pursuing an academic research career which combines research and teaching. “I want to have a lab that includes people from all over the world, because it’s so important to have an international presence,” said Ms. Oguntala. She is particularly interested in cardiovascular genetics, stem cells and regenerative science, but hopes to gain exposure to additional areas of research.
She also looks forward to serving as a role model for other women of color. “Representation is really important, especially in ethnic communities,” said Ms. Oguntala. “Although the UK is relatively diverse, growing up I never saw a professor who looks like me. Even here, while it’s getting better, I’ve still never seen someone [in that position] who looks like me. I’d love to inspire others, and to show them that they can also go into this field.”
Ms. Oguntala, whose father is Nigerian and mother is Colombian, does not take her good fortune for granted. “It’s a real privilege to be here – to have an education, the freedom to study and work, and not have to grow up in a war zone,” she said. “So many of my Colombian relatives were married and had kids before they were 22 years old. I’m very aware that so many women, in particular, don’t have the same opportunities that I’ve had. It’s phenomenal to see that you can have both: you can be a woman in science, as well as a mother and wife. My PI and manager both have families, and it’s beautiful to see that they’re able to parent as well as do research. That’s why I want to push myself to go to grad school and be that representation, to show that anyone can do this. Just seeing one person who looks like you changes everything.”
Getting to spend concentrated time in the lab has only increased Ms. Oguntala’s enthusiasm for pursuing a research career. “Every day is different, and it’s always new and exciting,” she said. “Yes, sometimes you have to work really long hours, but it’s so rewarding when things go right – you feel so accomplished. UCSF has such a great scientific community – it’s really a world pioneer. And with AI and all these other computational tools, now we can do so much in one day that would have previously taken years. What a time to be alive and in research!”
- Elizabeth Chur